About Comprehensive Ranking System
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is used by the Canadian Government to rank and select the skilled worker candidates who want to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry Program. A score is being awarded to the candidates based on their human capital factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience. It is a detailed and evidence-based approach for scoring and ranking the candidates.
CRS evaluates the candidates and their partner or spouse if they have one on the basis of their human capital. Then they provide a CRS score based on human capital characteristics. The candidates with the highest scores receive ITA, Invitation To Apply for permanent residence.
Canadian Government holds Express Entry draws every two weeks for inviting the top-scoring candidates.
There is a total of 1200 points available under CRS.
For candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
- a maximum of 460 points available for core human capital factors of the principal applicant;
- a maximum of 40 points for the core human capital factors of the spouse or common-law partner;
- a maximum of 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
- 600 points available for additional factors (including a provincial nomination, an offer of arranged employment, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability.
For candidates without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
- a maximum of 500 points available for core human capital factors;
- a maximum of 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
- 600 points available for additional factors (including a provincial nomination, an offer of arranged employment, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability).
French ability
- 25 additional points for French-speaking candidates who prove adequate intermediate (equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark 7) or better French ability, and English language test results of CLB 4 or lower, or no English test results at all.
- 50 additional points for French-speaking candidates who prove adequate intermediate or better French ability, and who also prove English language test result of CLB 5 or better.
Sibling in Canada
- 15 additional points for candidates with a sibling in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or PR, at least 18 years of age. 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.
Core Human Capital Factors in CRS
| Age (in years) | With an accompanying spouse or common-law partner (Maximum points- 100) | Without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner (Maximum points- 110) |
| 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 & above | 0 | 0 |
Level of Education
| Level of Education | With an accompanying spouse (Maximum points for Primary Applicant- 140, for spouse- 10) | Without an accompanying spouse (Maximum points- 150) |
| Less than secondary (high) school credential | 0 points | 0 |
| Secondary school credential | PA- 28 Spouse- 2 | 30 |
| One year post-secondary program | PA- 84 Spouse- 6 | 90 |
| Two year post-secondary program | PA- 91 Spouse- 7 | 98 |
| Post-secondary program of 3 or more years | PA- 112 Spouse- 8 | 120 |
| Two or more post-secondary programs, of which at least one was completed after a post-secondary program of three or more years | PA- 119 Spouse- 9 | 128 |
| Master’s or entry-to-practice professional degree | PA- 126 Spouse- 10 | 135 |
| Doctoral Degree (PhD) | PA- 140 Spouse- 10 | 150 |
First Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | With an accompanying spouse (Maximum points for Primary Applicant- 128, for spouse- 20) | Without an accompanying spouse (Maximum points- 136) |
| For each language ability | PA- 32 Spouse- 5 | 34 |
| CLB 3 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 | PA- 6 Spouse- 0 | 6 |
| CLB 5 | PA- 6 Spouse- 1 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | PA- 8 Spouse- 1 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | PA- 16 Spouse- 3 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | PA- 22 Spouse- 3 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | PA- 29 Spouse- 5 | 31 |
| CLB 10 & above | PA- 32 Spouse- 5 | 34 |
Second Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | With an accompanying spouse (Maximum points- 22) | Without an accompanying spouse (Maximum points- 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 & above | 6 | 6 |
Canadian Work Experience
| Number of Years | With an accompanying spouse (Maximum points for Primary Applicant- 70, for spouse- 10) | Without an accompanying spouse (Maximum points- 80) |
| Less than 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | PA- 35 Spouse- 5 | 40 |
| 2 | PA- 46 Spouse- 7 | 53 |
| 3 | PA- 56 Spouse- 8 | 64 |
| 4 | PA- 63 Spouse- 9 | 72 |
| 5 & above | PA- 70 Spouse- 10 | 80 |
Skill Transferabilty Factors in CRS
A total of 100 points are awarded for candidate’s skill transferability factors. There are five combinations in 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 CRS. 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.
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 7 or higher on 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 7 or higher on all language abilities |
| No Non-Canadian Work Experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of Non-Canadian Work Experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 or above 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 above 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 of these 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 |
Additional Factors in CRS
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination certificate | Points |
| For an enhanced nomination certificate from a Canadian province (except Quebec) | 600 |
| 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 |
| For a qualifying job offer of arranged employment from a Canadian employer if the offer is any other qualifying offer of arranged employment | 50 |
| Canadian study experience | Points |
| If the candidate has an eligible credential from a one-year or two-year post-secondary program in Canada | 15 |
| If the candidate has either: –an eligible credential from a post-secondary program of three years or more, or –an eligible credential from a university-level program 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, or –an eligible credential from a university-level program at the doctoral level | 30 |
| 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 |
| If the candidate proves adequate intermediate (equivalent to CLB 7) or better French ability, and English ability of CLB 5 or better | 50 |
| 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. –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 | 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).
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