Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Why does Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?
Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to identify skilled worker candidates who have the best chance
to succeed in its job market. The CRS is beneficial for Canada and immigrants themselves. By using this detailed
and evidence-based approach to scoring and ranking immigrants, Canada does its part to welcome immigrants
who are most likely to have fulfilling careers in the country.
The CRS is informed by many decades of Canadian government research on immigrant outcomes in the job
market. The Canadian government’s research finds that new immigrants who arrive young and middle-aged, with
high levels of work experience, education, and language skills are able to integrate very well in the Canadian job
market.
More evidence confirms that Canadian government research is correct and that the CRS is the right model for
Canada to use for Express Entry. In 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released a
report on how Express Entry immigrants have been performing in the Canadian job market since Express Entry
launched in 2015. Thanks to how the CRS is structured, the report found that Express Entry immigrants have high
salaries, high rates of employment, and low rates of unemployment in Canada.
Comprehensive Ranking System Points Breakdown
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) contains three factors:
Core Human Capital Factors
Skill Transferability Factors
Additional Factors relating to a provincial nomination, a qualifying offer of arranged employment, Canadian
study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability.
There is a total of 1,200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
For candidates without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
a maximum of 500 points available for core human capital factors;
a maximum of 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
600 points available for additional factors (including a provincial nomination, an offer of arranged
employment, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability).
For candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
a maximum of 460 points available for core human capital factors of the principal applicant;
a maximum of 40 points for the core human capital factors of the spouse or common-law partner;
a maximum of 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
600 points available for additional factors (including a provincial nomination, an offer of arranged
employment, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability).
French ability
25 additional points for French-speaking candidates who prove adequate intermediate (equivalent to
Canadian Language Benchmark 7) or better French ability, and English language test results of CLB 4 or
lower, or no English test results at all.
50 additional points for French-speaking candidates who prove adequate intermediate or better French
ability, and who also prove English language test result of CLB 5 or better.
Sibling in Canada
15 additional points for candidates with a sibling in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
of at least 18 years of age. These points may also be awarded if the candidate’s spouse or common-law
partner has a sibling in Canada. The candidate or his or her spouse/common-law partner must share a
mother and/or father with the sibling in Canada. This relationship can be through blood, adoption, marriage,
or common-law partnership.
Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score!
Comprehensive Ranking System: Core Human Capital Factors
For the purposes of this table, “PA” refers to the principal applicant and “spouse” refers to the spouse or commonlaw
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
Age (in
years)
With an accompanying spouse (maximum
points available: 100)
Without an accompanying spouse
(maximum points available: 110)
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 5 6
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 119 for PA; 9 for 128
Level of education
With an
accompanying
spouse
(maximum points
available: 140 for
PA, 10 for spouse)
Without an
accompanying spouse
(maximum points
available: 150)
least one was completed after a post-secondary
program of three or more years
spouse
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
Number
of years
With an accompanying spouse (maximum points
available: 70 for PA; 10 for spouse)
Without an accompanying spouse
(maximum points available: 80)
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.
For the purposes of 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-topractice
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 13 25
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
y
work experience
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
If 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 15
Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score!
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination certificate Points
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
The candidate or his or her spouse/common-law partner must share a mother and/or father
with the sibling in Canada. This relationship can be through blood, adoption, marriage, or
common-law partnership
15
points
Points are only assigned for Canadian study experience if, for the purpose of obtaining the credential, the
candidate:
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 obtains 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).
Improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score
The highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool are often guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian
permanent residence. Therefore, individuals interested in immigration to Canada are encouraged to take every
opportunity to increase their chances of receiving an invitation to apply. For more information, visit our dedicated
page to learn how to improve your CRS score.
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