The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is utilized by Canada to rank skilled worker candidates seeking immigration through Express Entry. This system assigns scores to candidates based on various criteria, such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of how Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System works, this page contains all the necessary information you need.
About the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) plays a vital role in Canada’s immigration process, particularly for economic class skilled workers. Since 2015, Express Entry has been the primary method for managing skilled worker applications.
Express Entry operates as a dynamic system, where only the most highly-ranked skilled worker candidates receive invitations from the Canadian government to immigrate to Canada.
To assess and rank candidates, the Canadian government employs the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This system evaluates each candidate, including their spouse or partner if applicable, based on their human capital attributes. Criteria such as age, education, proficiency in English and/or French, work experience, and other factors are taken into account to assign a CRS score to each candidate.
Regularly, approximately every two weeks, Express Entry draws are conducted by the Canadian government, inviting candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
What steps can I take to begin the Express Entry process?
Step 1: Start by visiting our Express Entry Page to gather information and familiarize yourself with the process.
Step 2: Determine your eligibility for Express Entry and calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score using CRS calculator.
Step 3: If you meet the eligibility criteria, check our Latest Blogs & News Page to stay informed about the most recent CRS requirements for successful candidates.
Step 4: Explore ways to enhance your CRS score by improving factors like language proficiency, education, and work experience.
Step 5: Once you have completed your language test(s) and obtained an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), create an Express Entry profile on the official website of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Why does Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?
Canada utilizes the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to select skilled worker candidates with the highest potential for success in its job market. This approach benefits both Canada and the immigrants themselves. By employing a detailed and evidence-based scoring and ranking system, Canada aims to welcome immigrants who are likely to have fulfilling and prosperous careers in the country.
The CRS is built upon extensive research conducted by the Canadian government over many decades, focusing on the outcomes of immigrants in the job market. This research has consistently shown that younger and middle-aged immigrants with significant work experience, education, and language skills integrate well into the Canadian job market.
The evidence further supports the effectiveness of the CRS model for Express Entry. In a report released by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2020, it was found that Express Entry immigrants have demonstrated high salaries, impressive employment rates, and low rates of unemployment in Canada. This indicates the success of the CRS in identifying candidates who can contribute positively to the Canadian economy and society.
Comprehensive Ranking System Points Breakdown
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used in Canada’s Express Entry program comprises three main factors:
1. Core Human Capital Factors: This category assesses the primary applicant’s human capital attributes, such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. For candidates without a spouse or common-law partner, a maximum of 500 points is available for this factor.
2. Skill Transferability Factors: These factors evaluate the combination of a candidate’s skills and how they may transfer to the Canadian job market. A maximum of 100 points can be awarded for skill transferability.
3. Additional Factors: This category encompasses various elements that can add to a candidate’s CRS score, including having a provincial nomination, a qualifying job offer, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language proficiency. A maximum of 600 points can be obtained from the additional factors.
For candidates with a spouse or common-law partner, the points distribution is as follows:
- Core Human Capital Factors (Principal Applicant): Up to 460 points
- Core Human Capital Factors (Spouse or Common-law Partner): Up to 40 points
- Skill Transferability Factors: Up to 100 points
- Additional Factors: Up to 600 points
French Ability:
- 25 additional points for French-speaking candidates with at least intermediate French ability (equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark 7) and English language test results of CLB 4 or lower, or no English test results at all.
- 50 additional points for French-speaking candidates with at least intermediate French ability and English language test results 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 and at least 18 years old. These points can also be awarded if the candidate’s spouse or common-law partner has a sibling in Canada, provided they share a parent through blood, adoption, marriage, or common-law partnership.
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 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 | 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 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.
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-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:
| 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 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 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).c