About: The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Since 2015, Canada is using Express Entry as the major approach to manage skilled worker applications. Express Entry is a vigorous technique. Only the highest-scoring skilled worker candidates are requested and invited by the Canadian Government to immigrate to Canada.
In order to score Express Entry candidates and rank them, the Canadian government uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The CRS assess each candidate (and their spouse or partner, if they have one) based on their human capital. Canada looks at a candidate’s age, education, English and/or French skills, work experience, among other criteria. The Canadian government then provides candidates with a CRS score based on their human capital characteristics.
Usually every two weeks, the Canadian government holds Express Entry draws providing PR invitations to those with the highest CRS scores.
Comprehensive Ranking System- Points Breakdown
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) contains three factors:
Comprehensive Ranking System: Core Human Capital Factors
In this table, “PA” refers to the principal applicant and “spouse” refers to the spouse/ common-law partner
Age
| Age (In Years) |
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 100) |
Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 110) |
|---|---|---|
|
under 18 |
0 points |
0 points |
|
18 |
90 |
99 |
|
19 |
95 |
105 |
|
20-29 |
100 |
110 |
|
30 |
95 |
105 |
|
31 |
90 |
99 |
|
32 |
85 |
94 |
|
33 |
80 |
88 |
|
34 |
75 |
83 |
|
35 |
70 |
77 |
|
36 |
65 |
72 |
|
37 |
60 |
66 |
|
38 |
55 |
61 |
|
39 |
50 |
55 |
|
40 |
45 |
50 |
|
41 |
35 |
39 |
|
42 |
25 |
28 |
|
43 |
15 |
17 |
|
44 |
05 |
06 |
|
45 or Older |
0 |
0 |
Level of Education
| Level of education |
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 140 for PA, 10 for spouse) |
Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 150) |
|---|---|---|
|
Less than secondary (high) school credential |
0 points |
0 points |
|
Secondary school credential |
28 for PA; 2 for spouse |
30 |
|
One-year post-secondary program |
84 for PA; 6 for spouse |
90 |
|
Two-year post-secondary program |
91 for PA; 7 for spouse |
98 |
|
Post-secondary program of 3 or more years |
112 for PA; 8 for spouse |
120 |
|
Two or more post-secondary programs, of which at least one was completed after a post-secondary program of three or more years |
119 for PA; 9 for spouse |
128 |
|
Master's or entry-to-practice professional degree |
126 for PA; 10 for spouse |
135 |
|
Doctoral Degree (PhD) |
140 for PA; 10 for spouse |
150 |
First Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) |
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 128 for PA; 20 for spouse) |
Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 136) |
|---|---|---|
|
For each language ability |
32 points for PA; 5 points for spouse |
34 points |
|
CLB 3 or lower |
0 |
0 |
|
CLB 4 |
6 for PA; 0 for spouse |
6 |
|
CLB 5 |
6 for PA; 1 for spouse |
6 |
|
CLB 6 |
8 for PA; 1 for spouse |
9 |
|
CLB 7 |
16 for PA; 3 for spouse |
17 |
|
CLB 8 |
22 for PA; 3 for spouse |
23 |
|
CLB 9 |
29 for PA; 5 for spouse |
31 |
|
CLB 10 or higher |
32 for PA; 5 for spouse |
34 |
*Points in the chart above are for each language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening, respectively.
Second Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) |
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 22) |
Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 24) |
|---|---|---|
|
For each language ability |
6 |
6 |
|
CLB 4 or lower |
0 |
0 |
|
CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
1 |
|
CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
3 |
|
CLB 9 or higher |
6 |
6 |
*Points in the chart above are for each language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening, respectively.
Canadian Work Experience
| Number of years |
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 70 for PA; 10 for spouse) |
Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 80) |
|---|---|---|
|
Less than 1 |
0 points |
0 points |
|
1 year |
35 for PA; 5 for spouse |
40 |
|
2 years |
46 for PA; 7 for spouse |
53 |
|
3 years |
56 for PA; 8 for spouse |
64 |
|
4 years |
63 for PA; 9 for spouse |
72 |
|
5 years or more |
70 for PA; 10 for spouse |
80 |
Comprehensive Ranking System: Skill Transferability Factors
A maximum of 100 points are awarded for a candidate’s skill transferability factors. There are five combinations of such skill transferability, with a maximum of 50 points awarded for each combination. Even if a candidate scores more than 100 points in total, only 100 points will be awarded under the Comprehensive Ranking System. Candidates with or without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner are awarded points for skill transferability in exactly the same way. There are no points available for the skill transferability of a candidate’s spouse or common-law partner.
In this table, “CLB” refers to Canadian Language Benchmark.
Education and Canadian Work Experience
| Education |
1 year of Canadian work experience |
2 or more years of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
|
No post-secondary education |
0 |
0 |
|
Post-secondary education of 1 year or longer |
13 |
25 |
|
Two or more post-secondary credentials, the first of which was 3 or more years in duration |
25 |
50 |
|
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required |
25 |
50 |
|
A university-level credential at the doctoral level |
25 |
50 |
Education and Language Ability
| Education |
CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one of these CLB 8 |
CLB 9 or higher for all language abilities |
|---|---|---|
|
No post-secondary education |
0 |
0 |
|
Post-secondary education of 1 year or longer |
13 |
25 |
|
Two or more post-secondary credentials, the first of which was 3 or more years in duration |
25 |
50 |
|
A university-level credential at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required |
25 |
50 |
|
A university-level credential at the doctoral level |
25 |
50 |
Language Ability and Non-Canadian Work Experience
| Non-Canadian Work Experience |
CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one of these CLB 8 |
CLB 9 or higher for all language abilities |
|---|---|---|
|
No non-Canadian work experience |
0 |
0 |
|
1 or 2 years of non-Canadian work experience |
13 |
25 |
|
3 or more years of non-Canadian work experience |
25 |
50 |
Canadian and non-Canadian Work Experience
| Experience | 1 year of Canadian work experience | 2 or more years of Canadian work experience |
|---|---|---|
|
No non-Canadian work experience |
0 |
0 |
|
1 or 2 years of non-Canadian work experience |
13 |
25 |
|
3 or more years of non-Canadian work experience |
25 |
50 |
Certificate of Qualification in a Trade and Language Ability
| Certificate of Qualification |
CLB 5 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one CLB 5 or 6 |
CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities |
|---|---|---|
|
Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a province |
25 |
50 |
Comprehensive Ranking System: Additional Factors
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination certificate | Points |
|---|---|
|
For an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province (except Quebec) |
600 points |
| Qualifying offer of arranged employment | Points |
|---|---|
|
For a qualifying job offer of arranged employment from a Canadian employer if the offer is in an occupation contained in Major Group 00 Senior Management Occupations |
200 points |
|
For a qualifying job offer of arranged employment from a Canadian employer if the offer is any other qualifying offer of arranged employment |
50 points |
| Canadian study experience | Points |
|---|---|
|
If the candidate has an eligible credential from a one-year or two-year post-secondary program in Canada |
15 points |
|
If the candidate has either: an eligible credential from a post-secondary program of three years or more, or an eligible credential from a university-level program at the master’s level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required, or an eligible credential from a university-level program at the doctoral level |
30 points |
| French language ability | Points |
|---|---|
|
If the candidate proves adequate intermediate (equivalent to CLB 7) or better French ability, and English ability of CLB 4 or lower (or no English language test result) |
25 points |
|
f the candidate proves adequate intermediate (equivalent to CLB 7) or better French ability, and English ability of CLB 5 or better |
50 points |
| Sibling in Canada | Points |
|---|---|
|
If the candidate, or the accompanying spouse/common-law partner, has a sibling in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of at least 18 years of age |
15 points |
Points are only allotted for Canadian study experience if, for the intention of obtaining the credential, the applicant:
- studied in Canada at a Canadian educational institution;
- was enrolled in full-time study or training for at least eight months; and
- was physically present in Canada for at least eight months.
A maximum of 15 points may be awarded for a sibling in Canada, regardless of how many siblings the candidate (and his or her spouse/common-law partner, if applicable) has in Canada.
The maximum available number of points for these additional factors for any one candidate is 600 points. Therefore, if a candidate has completed a Canadian post-secondary study program and attains an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province, he or she will be awarded 600 points for these additional factors (rather than 615 or 630 points).