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By Rebecca Major
Updated 6 days ago
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Whether it’s preparing your Express Entry profile, increasing your CRS score, applying for permanent residence, or securing a job, our Moving2Canada newsletter makes sure you never miss a step.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is a tool used by Canadian immigration authorities to assess and rank the profiles of candidates in the Express Entry pool, under this system, people around the world who are interested in immigrating to Canada are assigned points for a range of factors such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience.
Before being assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score, individuals must first be eligible under one of the following programs:
Candidates in the pool are assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score out of 1,200.
For single applicants without a spouse or common-law partner, there are:
For candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
When Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) performs an Express Entry draw from the current pool of candidates, the top-ranked candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. These draws occur regularly, approximately every two weeks. The Comprehensive Ranking System is a dynamic, competitive system — the more points you accumulate, the more likely it is that you will be invited to apply.
The CRS evaluates several key factors—such as age, education, language skills, and Canadian work experience—and assigns a score based on the strength of each. Below, we break down how each of these human capital factors contributes to your overall CRS score, helping you understand where you stand and where you can improve.
Single candidates may be awarded up to 110 points for age for their Comprehensive Ranking System score. Candidates with a spouse or partner may receive up to 100 points.
Effective March 25th, 2025, and until further notice, Express Entry candidates will no longer receive additional points for having a valid Canadian job offer. Valid job offers are still important in the context of the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Up to 150 points are available for level of education under the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System.
Comprehensive Ranking System points in this chart are for each language proficiency ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening. Therefore, a single candidate may receive up to 136 points (34×4); a candidate with an accompanying spouse or partner may receive up to 148 points (32×4 plus 5×4).
Points for language are awarded only if a candidate completes an approved language test. The points are based on the Canadian Language Benchmark level (CLBs).
Moving2Canada readers can take advantage of a seven-day free trial of online language tutorials. Simply select to Learn English or Learn French and complete the online form.
Points in this chart are for each language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening.
Up to 24 points are available for a single candidate’s second language ability. Candidates with a spouse/partner “max out” their points for second language ability at 22 points, even if they get results of CLB 9 or higher in all abilities. The spouse/partner is only assessed under his or her first language.
Up to 100 points are available for Canadian work experience, making it a key part of the Comprehensive Ranking System for Express Entry. For Canadian work experience to count towards for CRS points, it must have been completed in the last 10 years. This is different to the Canadian work experience requirements of the Canadian Experience Class.
Also known as combination factors, these points are awarded when a candidate performs well in two areas.
A candidate can only be awarded up to 100 points for skills transferability, even if they qualify for more or all points across all the related factors. Moreover, there are subtotal maximums of 50 points for skills transferability factors involving post secondary (high school) Education, as well as for Foreign work experience. In other words:
No points are available for the skill transferability of a candidate’s spouse or common-law partner, if applicable.
Post Secondary Education and Canadian Work Experience
Post Secondary Education and Language Proficiency Ability
Non-Canadian Work Experience and Official Languages Ability
Canadian and non-Canadian Work Experience
The maximum available number of CRS points for these additional factors for any one candidate is 600 additional points.
** Candidates with a sibling in Canada may be awarded 15 points if the sibling is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and at least 18 years of age. Up to 15 points only may be awarded for this factor; candidates with more than one sibling in Canada will be awarded 15 points in total, not 15 points per sibling. 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.
Join other like-minded individuals navigating their journey to success within the Express Entry system — from Immigration tips to settlement and job search support, you're not alone.
Your CRS score (sometimes referred to as an Express Entry score) may only be awarded after you enter the Express Entry pool — and you can only enter the pool if you’re eligible for at least one of the federal economic immigration programs managed under Express Entry.
The Moving2Canada Express Entry CRS Calculator lets you check your eligibility for Express Entry and potential CRS points total at the same time, without you handing over personal contact information. No other Express Entry Calculator lets you do all of this.
Each profile in the Express Entry pool is assigned a CRS score, calculated using factors like age, education, language ability, work experience, and more. Candidates with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence through regular draws. The CRS ensures a fair, merit-based selection process. In the next section, we’ll break down the specific point factors that make up your CRS score and how each one contributes to your overall ranking.
The CRS score is one of the most important elements of your Express Entry profile. Your CRS score indicates how strong your profile is in relations to others in the pool. Generally speaking, the higher your CRS score, the more likely you are to receive an invitation to apply (ITA). There are however some instances where your CRS is not the only consideration. Take for instance PNP’s or category- based Express Entry draws. In both cases, your CRS score is not the only thing take into consideration. In these cases, your work experience also plays a pivotal role.
There is no minimum CRS required to enter the Express Entry pool. Anyone who is eligible to enter the pool, can enter. To stand a chance at being selected however, you will want to make sure you score as high as you can score. Each Express Entry draw has a CRS cut off. To receive an invitation, your CRS needs to be above the cut off for that draw. So, whilst you can enter the pool with a CRS of 250, you will want to increase this to get an ITA.
If you follow Express Entry draws, you will notice in each draw there is something called a CRS cut off. The CRS cut off is the minimum CRS score accepted for that particular draw. For instance, if an applicant has a CRS score of 470 and the CRS cut off for the latest draw is 469, any applicant scoring 470 will receive an ITA in that draw.
There is not set CRS score needed to receive a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination. While the CRS score is important, PNP’s often look at other information when deciding who to nominate, like work experience, family connections to the province or previous work experience/ education within the province. It is also very much dependent on the province. The province of Ontario is very competitive therefore they tend to select applicants with a CRS of above 470. In comparison, a province like Alberta for instance is known to select applicants with a CRS as low as 300.
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