The new Express Entry system was introduced by Canada in 2015 to process applications to most federal economic immigration programs. As all the programs under this system are extremely competitive, the applicants are ranked against each other and the highest-ranking candidates are selected to become Canadian permanent residents.
A merit-based points system, known as Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) was developed by the Government of Canada to rank immigration candidates. According to this system, a CRS score is assigned to each candidate in the Express Entry pool. It manages 3 programs, namely:
A person submitting his/her profile to the Express Entry pool is assigned a CRS score out of 1200 points. the Canadian government conducts an Express Entry draw almost every two weeks where the highest-ranking candidates are issued Invitations to Apply (ITA). It should be noted that the IRCC keeps all the information regarding date of draw, number of ITAs to be issued and minimum required CRS score undisclosed.
Here’s a summary of maximum points that Express Entry candidates may receive for each factor under the CRS.
Factors |
Maximum Points Available |
|
A. |
Core / Human Capital Factors |
460 (with spouse) 500 (without spouse) |
B. |
Spouse or Common-Law Factors |
40 |
C. |
Skill Transferability Factors |
100 |
D. |
Additional Points |
600 |
Maximum Total Points |
1200 |
|
||
Factors |
Points |
|
|
With Spouse/Common-Law Partner |
Without Spouse/Common-Law Partner |
Age |
100 |
110 |
Level of Education |
140 |
150 |
Official Languages Proficiency |
150 |
160 |
Canadian Work Experience |
70 |
80 |
Maximum |
460 |
500 |
|
|
Factors |
Points |
Level of Education |
10 |
Official Languages Proficiency |
20 |
Canadian Work Experience |
10 |
Maximum |
40 |
|
|
Education |
|
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree |
50 |
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree |
50 |
Maximum |
50 |
Foreign Work Experience |
|
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 |
Maximum |
50 |
Certificate of Qualification (for people in trade occupations) |
|
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification |
50 |
Maximum |
50 |
Maximum |
100 |
|
|
Factor |
Points |
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 |
Maximum |
600 |
A – Core/Human Capital Factors
Age Factors |
||
Age |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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 |
Maximum |
100 |
110 |
Education Factors |
||
Level of Education |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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 |
Maximum |
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 |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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 |
Maximum |
128 |
136 |
Note: Points are awarded for each language ability
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 maximum of 22 points
- 6 without a spouse or common-law partner up to a maximum of 24 points
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
CLB 4 or less |
0 |
0 |
CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
1 |
CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
3 |
CLB 9 or more |
6 |
6 |
Maximum |
22 |
24 |
Note: Points are awarded for each language ability
Canadian Work Experience |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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 |
Maximum |
70 |
80 |
Level of Education |
||
Spouse’s or Common-Law Partner’s Level of Education |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
Less than secondary school (high school) |
0 |
NA |
Secondary diploma (high school graduation) |
2 |
NA |
One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
6 |
NA |
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
7 |
NA |
Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute |
8 |
NA |
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years |
9 |
NA |
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 |
NA |
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) |
10 |
NA |
Maximum |
10 |
Does Not Apply |
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening ) |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
CLB 4 or less |
0 |
NA |
CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
NA |
CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
NA |
CLB 9 or more |
5 |
NA |
Maximum |
20 |
Does Not Apply |
Note: Points are awarded for each language ability
Spouse’s Canadian Work Experience |
With a spouse or common-law partner |
Without a spouse or common-law partner |
None or less than a year |
0 |
NA |
1 year |
5 |
NA |
2 years |
7 |
NA |
3 years |
8 |
NA |
4 years |
9 |
NA |
5 years or more |
10 |
NA |
Maximum |
10 |
Does Not Apply |
Subtotal: A – Core/Human Capital + B – Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors – Maximum 500 Points
C – Skill Transferability Factors (Maximum 100 Points for this Section)
Education and Language Proficiency |
||
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 |
Points for CLB 9 or More on All Four First Official Language Abilities |
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 |
Maximum |
25 |
50 |
Education and Canadian Work Experience |
||
With Canadian Work Experience and a Post-Secondary Degree |
Points for Education + 1 Year of Canadian Work Experience |
Points for Education + 2 Years or More of Canadian Work Experience |
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 |
Maximum |
25 |
50 |
Foreign Work Experience – With Good Official Language Proficiency (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 |
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities |
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 |
Maximum |
25 |
50 |
Foreign Work Experience – With Canadian Work Experience |
||
Years of Experience |
Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience |
Points for foreign 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 |
Maximum |
25 |
50 |
Trade Certificate and Language Proficiency |
||
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 |
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities |
With a certificate of qualification |
25 |
50 |
Maximum |
25 |
50 |
Subtotal: A – Core/Human Capital + B – Spouse or Common-Law Partner + C – Skill Transferability Factors – Maximum 600 Points
D – Additional Points (Maximum 600 Points)
Additional Points |
|
Factor |
Points |
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 |
Maximum |
600 |
A. Core/Human Capital + B. Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors + C. Transferability Factors + D. Additional Points = Grand Total – Maximum 1,200 Points