Scoring System Overview
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to assess and score your profile and rank it in the Express Entry pool for permanent residence. The official source states a maximum of 460 points for core/human capital factors with a spouse or common-law partner, and 500 points for core/human capital factors without a spouse or common-law partner, but does not specify an overall combined maximum across all categories.
Score Breakdown
The CRS has four main scoring dimensions: A. Core/human capital factors, B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable), C. Skill Transferability factors, and D. Additional points.
A. Core/Human Capital Factors
This section awards points for your age, level of education, official language proficiency, and Canadian work experience. Points are awarded differently depending on whether you have a spouse or common-law partner.
Age
| Condition |
Points with a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points) |
Points without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 110 points) |
Notes |
| 17 years of age or less |
0 |
0 |
|
| 18 years of age |
90 |
99 |
|
| 19 years of age |
95 |
105 |
|
| 20 to 29 years of age |
100 |
110 |
|
| 30 years of age |
95 |
105 |
|
| 31 years of age |
90 |
99 |
|
| 32 years of age |
85 |
94 |
|
| 33 years of age |
80 |
88 |
|
| 34 years of age |
75 |
83 |
|
| 35 years of age |
70 |
77 |
|
| 36 years of age |
65 |
72 |
|
| 37 years of age |
60 |
66 |
|
| 38 years of age |
55 |
61 |
|
| 39 years of age |
50 |
55 |
|
| 40 years of age |
45 |
50 |
|
| 41 years of age |
35 |
39 |
|
| 42 years of age |
25 |
28 |
|
| 43 years of age |
15 |
17 |
|
| 44 years of age |
5 |
6 |
|
| 45 years of age or more |
0 |
0 |
|
Level of Education
| Condition |
Points with a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 140 points) |
Points without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 150 points) |
Notes |
| Less than secondary school (high school) |
0 |
0 |
|
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) |
28 |
30 |
|
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
84 |
90 |
|
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
91 |
98 |
|
| Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
112 |
120 |
|
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years |
119 |
128 |
|
| Master's degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) |
126 |
135 |
|
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) |
140 |
150 |
|
Official Languages Proficiency – First Official Language
| Condition |
Points with a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 128 points) |
Points without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points) |
Notes |
| Less than CLB 4 |
0 |
0 |
Points per ability (reading, writing, speaking, listening) |
| CLB 4 or 5 |
6 |
6 |
Maximum 32 points per ability with spouse; 34 without |
| CLB 6 |
8 |
9 |
|
| CLB 7 |
16 |
17 |
|
| CLB 8 |
22 |
23 |
|
| CLB 9 |
29 |
31 |
|
| CLB 10 or more |
32 |
34 |
|
Official Languages Proficiency – Second Official Language
| Condition |
Points with a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 22 points) |
Points without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 24 points) |
Notes |
| CLB 4 or less |
0 |
0 |
Points per ability (reading, writing, speaking, listening); maximum 6 per ability |
| CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
1 |
|
| CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
3 |
|
| CLB 9 or more |
6 |
6 |
|
Canadian Work Experience
| Condition |
Points with a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 70 points) |
Points without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 80 points) |
Notes |
| None or less than a year |
0 |
0 |
|
| 1 year |
35 |
40 |
|
| 2 years |
46 |
53 |
|
| 3 years |
56 |
64 |
|
| 4 years |
63 |
72 |
|
| 5 years or more |
70 |
80 |
|
B. Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors
This section awards points for your spouse or common-law partner’s education, official language proficiency, and Canadian work experience.
Prerequisites: This section applies only if you have an accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
Spouse’s or Common-Law Partner’s Level of Education
| Condition |
Points (Maximum 10 points) |
Notes |
| Less than secondary school (high school) |
0 |
|
| Secondary school (high school graduation) |
2 |
|
| One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
6 |
|
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
7 |
|
| Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
8 |
|
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years |
9 |
|
| Master's degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree”, the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) |
10 |
|
| Doctoral level university degree (PhD) |
10 |
|
Spouse’s or Common-Law Partner’s Official Languages Proficiency – First Official Language
| Condition |
Points (Maximum 20 points) |
Notes |
| CLB 4 or less |
0 |
Maximum 5 points per ability (reading, writing, speaking, listening) |
| CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
|
| CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
|
| CLB 9 or more |
5 |
|
Spouse’s Canadian Work Experience
| Condition |
Points (Maximum 10 points) |
Notes |
| None or less than a year |
0 |
|
| 1 year |
5 |
|
| 2 years |
7 |
|
| 3 years |
8 |
|
| 4 years |
9 |
|
| 5 years or more |
10 |
|
C. Skill Transferability Factors
This section awards up to a combined maximum of 100 points for combinations of education, foreign work experience, Canadian work experience, and official language proficiency.
Education – With Official Languages Proficiency and a Post-Secondary Degree
| Condition |
Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
Notes |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less |
0 |
0 |
|
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer |
13 |
25 |
|
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer |
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 – With Canadian Work Experience and a Post-Secondary Degree
| Condition |
Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points) |
Notes |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less |
0 |
0 |
|
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer |
13 |
25 |
|
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer |
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 |
|
Foreign Work Experience – With Good Official Language Proficiency
| Condition |
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
Notes |
| No foreign work experience |
0 |
0 |
|
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience |
13 |
25 |
|
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience |
25 |
50 |
|
Foreign Work Experience – With Canadian Work Experience
| Condition |
Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points) |
Notes |
| No foreign work experience |
0 |
0 |
|
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience |
13 |
25 |
|
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience |
25 |
50 |
|
Certificate of Qualification (Trade Occupations) – With Good Official Language Proficiency
| Condition |
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
Notes |
| With a certificate of qualification |
25 |
50 |
|
D. Additional Points
This section awards points for additional factors, with a combined maximum of 600 points.
Brother or Sister Living in Canada
| Condition |
Points |
Notes |
| Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada |
15 |
Brother or sister must be 18 years or older |
French Language Skills
| Condition |
Points |
Notes |
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn’t take an English test) |
25 |
|
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills |
50 |
|
Post-Secondary Education in Canada
| Condition |
Points |
Notes |
| Post-secondary education in Canada - credential of one or two years |
15 |
|
| Post-secondary education in Canada - credential three years or longer |
30 |
|
Provincial or Territorial Nomination
| Condition |
Points |
Notes |
| Provincial or territorial nomination |
600 |
|