Highlights
- The Canadian government uses the CRS score and rank for Express Entry candidates.
- CRS applies to applicants eligible for at least one of the three Express Entry programs, FSWP, FSTP, and CEC.
- CRS scores are calculated based on age, work experience, language, Education, points for spouses and partners, and skills.
Express Entry program
If you are willing to immigrate to Canada by using the Express Entry program, you must encounter the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS was introduced in the year 2015.
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Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
The CRS is a detailed data-driven technique designed to recognize immigrants with better opportunities to succeed in the Canadian labor market. CRS is majorly based on the human capital criteria.
The CRS score is applied to candidates eligible for at least one of the following Express Entry programs.
- Federal Skilled Work Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
CRS scores calculate various factors that can get as high as 1200 points. The more they score, the more are the chances of getting an invitation to apply (ITA).
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Awarded based on the following points
Four factors can get you CRS points.
- Central / Human capital (Age, education, language, and work experience in Canada)
The Core or human capital factors can be added up to a maximum of 500 points.
Age: For the age factor, the maximum point that one can score is 100. Candidates in the age group of 20-29 scan score the maximum points of 100. From the beginning of the age 30, the points get decline.
Age (in years) |
With an accompanying spouse |
Without an accompanying spouse |
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 |
Education: Every applicant can improve their CRS score by completing primary or secondary Education in Canada. They can also submit an Educational Credential Assessment, proving the equivalence of the degree done outside Canada. More are the educational qualifications; then you can get more points.
For Bachelor’s degree with three years or four-year program, the applicant can score up to 120 points. For Longer programs like Ph.D. score a maximum of 150 points. If the applicant is only a Secondary certificate holder, your score for Education is 30 points.
Language: Applicants must complete a Language proficiency test authorized by the government in any of Canada’s official languages, English or French. A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 3 or less will result in being 0.
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Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) |
Principal Applicant + Accompanying spouse |
Without an accompanying spouse |
3 or lower |
0 | 0 |
4 | 6 + 0 |
6 |
5 |
6 + 1 | 6 |
6 | 8 +1 |
9 |
7 |
16 + 3 | 17 |
8 | 22 + 3 |
23 |
9 |
29 + 5 | 31 |
10 or higher | 32 + 5 |
34 |
Work Experience in Canada: All the Express Entry programs need a minimum amount of skilled work experience for an occupation listed in the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.
Number of years |
Principal Applicant + Accompanying spouse |
Without an accompanying spouse |
Less than 1 |
0 points | 0 points |
1 | 35 + 5 |
40 |
2 |
46 + 7 | 53 |
3 | 56 + 8 |
64 |
4 |
63 + 9 | 72 |
5 or more | 70 + 10 |
80 |
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- Common-law partner or Spouse(Language, Education, and Work Experience)
The CRS points are awarded differently depending on whether you apply yourself or with a spouse or partner. Applicants applying for Express Entry with a spouse or partner are given 40 fewer points for individuals, and the partner’s human capital makes those points up. Overall points are the same for both single applicants and those in a relationship but must be calculated uniquely.
Also read…
How to improve your CRS in 2022?
- Skills Transferrable(Education, Work Experience, and combinations of language):
The CRS score is based on skills transferrable factors. The candidates can gain an additional CRS point if they can show a combination of education and work experience either inside or outside of Canada or a combo of post-secondary Education and a high CLB score.
- Auxiliary factors: The CRS takes other factors into account. Applicants that receive notification of interest from any province can apply for nomination to immigrate to a particular province. Suppose the nomination for the province is successful. In that case, the applicant will get an automated 600 CRS points on their Express Entry profile, which is considered larger than most candidates’ scores, and more chances to receive an invitation to apply for Permanent Residency from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has the highest number of additional points.
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