Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Criteria – Express Entry

Note: If your spouse or partner is not coming with you to Canada, or they are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you will earn points as if you don’t have a spouse or partner.

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

A. Core / human capital factors

Factors

Points per factor - With a spouse or common-law partner

Points per factor - Without a spouse or common-law partner

Age 

100

110

Level of education 

140

150

Official languages proficiency 

150

160

Canadian work experience 

70

80

B. Spouse or common-law partner factors

Factors

Points per factor
(Maximum 40 points)

Level of education 

10

Official language proficiency 

20

Canadian Work Experience 

10

  1. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points (with OR without a spouse or common-law partner)

C. Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points)

Education

Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)

With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree

50

With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree

50

Foreign work experience

Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)

With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience

50

With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience

50

Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)

Points per factor
(Maximum 50 points)

With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification

50

  1. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)

Factor

Maximum points per factor

Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)

15

French language skills

30

Post-secondary education in Canada

30

Arranged employment

200

PN nomination

600

  1. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points

Points breakdown, section by section

CRS – A. Core / human capital factors

  • With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.
  • Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors.

Age

With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 100 points)

Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 110 points)

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

With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 140 points)

Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 150 points)

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

Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):

  • 32 with a spouse or common-law partner
  • 34 without a spouse or common-law partner

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability

With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 128 points)

Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 136 points)

Less than CLB 4

0

0

CLB 4 or 5

6

6

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

Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):

  • 6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)
  • 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability

With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 22 points)

Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 24 points)

CLB 4 or less

0

0

CLB 5 or 6

1

1

CLB 7 or 8

3

3

CLB 9 or more

6

6

Canadian work experience

With a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 70 points)

Without a spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 80 points)

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

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital factors

  • With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points
  • Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points

CRS – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education

With spouse or common-law partner
(Maximum 10 points)

Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)

Less than secondary school (high school)

0

n/a

Secondary school (high school graduation)

2

n/a

One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute

6

n/a

Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute

7

n/a

Bachelor's degree OR  a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute

8

n/a

Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years

9

n/a

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

n/a

Doctoral level university degree (PhD)

10

n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse's or common-law partner's official languages proficiency - first official language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening )

Maximum 20 points for section
Maximum 5 points per ability

Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)

CLB 4 or less

0

n/a

CLB 5 or 6

1

n/a

CLB 7 or 8

3

n/a

CLB 9 or more

5

n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse's Canadian work experience

Maximum 10 points

Without spouse or common-law partner
(Does not apply)

None or less than a year

0

n/a

1 year

5

n/a

2 years

7

n/a

3 years

8

n/a

4 years

9

n/a

5 years or more

10

n/a

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Subtotal : A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points

CRS – C. Skill transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)

Education

With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree

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)

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

With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree

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)

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

Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher)

Years of experience

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)

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

Years of experience

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)

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 (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher)

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)

With a certificate of qualification

25

50

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors - Maximum 600 points

CRS – D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)

Additional points

Maximum 600 points

Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

15

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)

15

Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills

30

Post-secondary education in  Canada - credential of one or two years

15

Post-secondary education in  Canada - credential three years or longer

30

Arranged employment - NOC 00

200

Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B

50

Provincial or territorial nomination

600

Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points

Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points