Understanding your Canada express entry CRS results

What is the Express Entry CRS Score?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria to determine the eligibility of candidates applying to come to Canada under the Express Entry stream. The CRS system (Canada express entry CRS results) helps the Canadian government, through the ministry of immigration, “manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs.”

Express Entry draws conducted bi-weekly (sometimes monthly) based on certain CRS cut-off marks determined by IRCC. The express entry program consists of the following sub-categories:

Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
Canadian Experience Class

How are CRS points determined?

The Canadian Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) groups criteria into four main subgroups:-

Core/Human factors
Spouse/Common-law partner factors
Skills transferability factors, and
Additional factors (based on connection/ties to Canada)

Ideally, the factor groups listed above are determined by prospective immigrants’ characteristics in the following areas:

Age
Skills in English and French Language
Education
Work experience
Presence/absence of a valid job offer, and
The applicant’s perceived adaptability to live in Canada.

Maximum Express Entry CRS Score & Cut-Off Marks

Core/Human and Spouse/Common-law factors

Irrespective of a principal applicant’s country of origin, the possible maximum score in the Core/Human Capital Factors group for a single applicant is 500. It is 460 if the applicant is married or has a common-law partner that is not a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. With a spouse or partner combined, the maximum score is 500.

Express Entry Human Capital Factors

Applicant's Age	Apply with a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 100 points)	Apply without a spouse or common-law partner
17 years old or less	0	0
18 years old	90	99
19 years old	95	105
20 to 29 years old	100	110
30 years old	95	105
31 years old	90	99
32 years old	85	94
33 years old	80	88
34 years old	75	83
35 years old	70	77
36 years old	65	72
37 years old	60	66
38 years old	55	61
39 years old	50	55
40 years old	45	50
41 years old	35	39
42 years old	25	28
43 years old	15	17
44 years old	5	6
45 years old or more	0	0

Express Entry Education Factors

Level of Education	With a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 140 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 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 college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	84	90
Two-year program at a college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	91	98
Bachelors degree OR a three or more year program at a college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	112	120
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One of them must be for a program of 3 or more years	119	128
Masters degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic medicine, law, or pharmacy)	126	135
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D)	140	150

Express Entry Language Proficiency for the First Official Language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 128 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 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

Express Entry Language Proficiency for the Second Official Language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 128 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 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

Skill transferability factors

Skill transferability factors combine a candidate’s education, work experience (foreign or within Canada), and official language skills based on standardized language test results. Considerations are also given to whether or not the principal applicant has a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province, federal body, or territory. The maximum score possible in this subcategory is 100.

Express Entry Skill Transferability Factors

With good official language proficiency (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
	(Max. 25 points)	(Max. 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	Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
	(Max. 25 points)	(Max. 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	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under CLB 9	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
	(Max. 25 points)	(Max. 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	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
	(Max. 25 points)	(Max. 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	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
	(Max. 25 points)	(Max. 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification	25	50

Additional points

The following additional points are awarded based on a candidate’s situation. The make-up of the Canada express entry CRS results depends on whether or not a candidate met the factors considered in calculating the CRS results.

Express Entry Spouse Factors

Spouses or common-law partners level of education	With a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 10 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply)
Less than secondary school (high school)	0	n/a
Secondary diploma (high school graduation)	2	n/a
One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	6	n/a
Two-year program at a college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	7	n/a
Bachelors degree OR a three or more year program at a college, university, technical or trade school, or other institute	8	n/a
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One of them must be for a program of 3 or more years	9	n/a
Masters degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic medicine, law, or pharmacy)	10	n/a
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D)	10	n/a

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability First official language	With a spouse or common-law partner (Max. 5 points per ability reading, writing, speaking, listening)	Without a spouse or common-law partner
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

Spouses Canadian work experience	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
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

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)	25
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills	50
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

So what are your chances?

Analyzing your CRS results

The government of Canada conducts the Express Entry draws every two weeks, sometimes monthly. The branch of government that handles Express Entry is the IRCC. The IRCC stands for Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada. This body used to be called CIC until 2015. After that, there is no difference between the two except for the name. The CIC is now called the IRCC. See a list of recent draws on WorkStudyVisa.

You will be selected if your score meets the minimum CRS cut-off for the round of invitations for which your express entry profile is eligible. Then, an invitation to apply, otherwise known as ITA, is issued to you. If interested, learn how to create a qualifying express entry profile. We have some resources here to know more about an invitation to apply (ITA).

Check Latest Express Entry Invitations

Low CRS Score?

If your score is lower than the cut-off mark, you may not get selected in a draw, but there may be ways to improve your score or other immigration options in addition to Express Entry. Try one of these resources!

Work Study Visa Canada Visa, Permits and Immigration