Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is the points system used to score immigration candidates in Express Entry.

Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank skilled worker candidates who wish to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry. The CRS scores candidates on criteria such as age, education, language skills and work experience.

Overview of the CRS

Most new immigrants to Canada are skilled workers in the economic class. Since 2015, Canada has used Express Entry as its principal means of managing skilled worker applications.

Express Entry is a flexible system. Only the highest-scoring skilled worker candidates are invited by the Government of Canada to immigrate.

To score and rank Express Entry candidates, the Government of Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The CRS assesses each candidate and their spouse or common-law partner (if applicable) against human capital factors. Canada considers criteria such as age, education, English or French language skills, work experience and other factors. The Government of Canada then awards the candidate a CRS score based on these characteristics.

Roughly every two weeks, the Government of Canada holds an Express Entry draw and issuesInvitation to Apply (ITA)to the candidates with the highest CRS scores.

Check your CRS score and start the Express Entry process

• Step 1: Find out aboutExpress Entry.
• Step 2: Determine your eligibility and CRS score using the calculators.
• Step 3: If eligible for Express Entry, visit theExpress Entry draw resultspage to see the most recent CRS cut-off scores of successful candidates.
• Step 4: Work out how toimprove your CRS scoreif required.
• Step 5: Create an Express Entry profile on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website athere. At this stage you must complete a language test and obtain anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Why Canada uses the CRS

Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to identify the skilled worker candidates with the best chance of success in the labour market. The CRS benefits both Canada and the immigrants themselves. By applying a detailed, evidence-based assessment, Canada makes sure it admits immigrants who are able to build lasting careers in the country.

The CRS is built on decades of Government of Canada research into immigrant employment outcomes. That research shows that young and middle-aged immigrants with work experience, a high level of education and strong language skills integrate very well into the Canadian labour market.

Real-world evidence also confirms that the Government of Canada’s research is sound and that the CRS is the right model for Express Entry. In 2020,Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)published a report on the performance of immigrants who came through Express Entry since the programme launched in 2015. The report showed that, thanks to the structure of the CRS, Express Entry immigrants earn high wages and record high employment rates and low unemployment rates in Canada.

A breakdown of the CRS score

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) comprises three groups of factors:

• Human capital factors
• Skill transferability factors
• Additional factorsrelating to a provincial nomination, a qualifying job offer, Canadian study experience, having a sibling in Canada or French language proficiency.

The maximum total score under the CRS is 1,200 points.

For a candidate without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner:

• Up to 500 points for human capital factors.
• Up to 100 points for skill transferability factors.
• 600 points for additional factors relating to a provincial nomination, a qualifying job offer, Canadian study experience, having a sibling in Canada or French language proficiency.

For a candidate with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner:

• Up to 460 points for the principal applicant’s human capital factors.
• Up to 40 points for the human capital factors of the spouse or common-law partner.
• Up to 100 points for skill transferability factors.
• 600 points for additional factors.

Points for French language ability:

• 25 additional points for a candidate with intermediate French (equivalent toCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)7) or higher and an English score of CLB 4 or lower, or no English test results.
• 50 additional points for a candidate with intermediate French or higher and an English score of CLB 5 or higher.

Points for a sibling in Canada:

• 15 additional points if the candidate has a sibling who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over.
• These points may also be claimed if the candidate’s spouse or common-law partner has a sibling in Canada.
• The relationship must be through a shared parent, whether by blood, adoption, marriage or common-law partnership.

CRS points for human capital factors

Age

Age (in years)	With a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 100 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 110 points)
Under 18	0	0
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 over	0	0

Level of education

Level of education	With a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 140 points for the principal applicant, 10 points for the spouse)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 150 points)
Below secondary school level	0	0
Secondary school diploma	28 for the principal applicant; 2 for the spouse	30
One-year post-secondary programme	84 for the principal applicant; 6 for the spouse	90
Two-year post-secondary programme	91 for the principal applicant; 7 for the spouse	98
Post-secondary programme of 3 years or longer	112 for the principal applicant; 8 for the spouse	120
Two post-secondary credentials, at least one of which was completed after a programme of 3 years or longer	119 for the principal applicant; 9 for the spouse	128
Master’s degree or entry-to-practice professional degree	126 for the principal applicant; 10 for the spouse	135
Doctorate (PhD)	140 for the principal applicant; 10 for the spouse	150

Language proficiency (English or French)

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)	With a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 128 points for the principal applicant; 20 points for the spouse)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 136 points)
Each language skill	32 for the principal applicant; 5 for the spouse	34
CLB 3 or lower	0	0
CLB 4	6 for the principal applicant; 0 for the spouse	6
CLB 5	6 for the principal applicant; 1 for the spouse	6
CLB 6	8 for the principal applicant; 1 for the spouse	9
CLB 7	16 for the principal applicant; 3 for the spouse	17
CLB 8	22 for the principal applicant; 3 for the spouse	23
CLB 9	29 for the principal applicant; 5 for the spouse	31
CLB 10 or higher	32 for the principal applicant; 5 for the spouse	34

The points in the table above apply to each language skill: speaking, writing, reading and listening respectively.

Second official language proficiency (English or French)

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)	With a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 22 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 24 points)
Each language skill	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

The points in the table above apply to each language skill: speaking, writing, reading and listening respectively.

Canadian work experience

Years of experience	With a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 70 points for the principal applicant; 10 points for the spouse)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (maximum: 80 points)
Less than 1 year	0	0
1 year	35 for the principal applicant; 5 for the spouse	40
2 years	46 for the principal applicant; 7 for the spouse	53
3 years	56 for the principal applicant; 8 for the spouse	64
4 years	63 for the principal applicant; 9 for the spouse	72
5 years or more	70 for the principal applicant; 10 for the spouse	80

CRS points for skill transferability factors

Up to 100 points are awarded for a candidate’s skill transferability factors. There are five skill transferability combinations, with up to 50 points awarded for each. Even where a candidate scores more than 100 points in total, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) counts a maximum of 100 points for this section.

Candidates with and without a spouse or common-law partner are awarded skill transferability points in the same way. No points are awarded for the skill transferability factors of the candidate’s spouse or common-law partner.

Education and Canadian work experience

Level of education	1 year of Canadian work experience	2 years or more of Canadian work experience
No post-secondary education	0	0
Post-secondary education of 1 year or more	13	25
Two or more post-secondary credentials, the first of which was a programme of 3 years or longer	25	50
A university degree at Master’s level or a professional degree listed in theNational Occupational Classification (NOC)at Skill Level A, requiring licensing by a provincial regulatory body	25	50
A university degree at doctoral level	25	50

Education and language proficiency

Level of education	CLB 7 or higher in all language skills, with at least one skill at CLB 8	CLB 9 or higher in all language skills
No post-secondary education	0	0
Post-secondary education of 1 year or more	13	25
Two or more post-secondary credentials, the first of which was a programme of 3 years or longer	25	50
A university degree at Master’s level or a professional degree listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) at Skill Level A, requiring licensing by a provincial regulatory body	25	50
A university degree at doctoral level	25	50

Language proficiency and foreign work experience

Foreign work experience	CLB 7 or higher in all language skills, with at least one skill at CLB 8	CLB 9 or higher in all language skills
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

Canadian and foreign work experience

Experience	1 year of Canadian work experience	2 years or more of Canadian work experience
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

A valid trade certificate and language proficiency

Certificate of qualification	CLB 5 or higher in all language skills, with at least one skill at CLB 5 or 6	CLB 7 or higher in all language skills
A certificate of qualification in a trade issued by a province	25	50

CRS points for additional factors

Below is the table reproduced in the same format as the original:

Category	Points
Nomination certificate from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
For an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province (except Quebec)	600
A valid job offer
For a valid job offer from a Canadian employer where the position falls under Major Group 00 – Senior management occupations	200
For a valid job offer from a Canadian employer where the position falls under any other eligible occupation	50
Canadian study experience
If the candidate holds an eligible credential from a 1- or 2-year post-secondary programme in Canada	15
If the candidate holds one of the following eligible credentials: – A nomination certificate fromProvincial Nominee Program (PNP) – A university programme at Master’s level or a practice-level programme requiring licensing under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) at Skill Level A, or – A university programme at doctoral level	30
French language ability
If the candidate demonstrates sufficient intermediate proficiency (equivalent to CLB 7) or higher in French, and English at CLB 4 or lower (or no English test results)	25
If the candidate demonstrates sufficient intermediate proficiency (equivalent to CLB 7) or higher in French, and English at CLB 5 or higher	50
A sibling in Canada
If the candidate or their spouse or common-law partner has a sibling who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over. – The candidate or their spouse or common-law partner must share a parent (mother or father) with the sibling in Canada. This relationship may be by blood, adoption, marriage or common-law partnership.	15

Points are only awarded for Canadian study experience if the candidate:

• Studied at a Canadian educational institution;
• Was enrolled in a full-time study or training programme of at least 8 months;
• Was physically present in Canada for at least 8 months.

A maximum of 15 points may be awarded for having a sibling in Canada, regardless of how many siblings the candidate (and their spouse or common-law partner, if applicable) has in Canada.

The maximum total available from these additional factors is 600 points. So, if a candidate has completed a post-secondary programme in Canada and holds an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province, they will receive 600 points for these additional factors.

Improving your CRS score

Detailed article on how toimprove your CRS score.

The highest-scoring candidates in the Express Entry pool are generally assured of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to become a Canadian permanent resident. Individuals interested in immigrating to Canada should therefore take every opportunity to improve their chances of receiving an invitation. For more information, please visit our dedicated page to find out how to improve your CRS score.