Understanding Your Canada Express Entry CRS Results
One of the first steps you must take when deciding to relocate to Canada is to select an immigration program for which you are eligible and have a basic understanding of how the Canada express entry CRS results are determined. The Express Entry program or a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is how most new immigrants petition for permanent residence (PR).
These programs are well-liked due to their straightforward application procedures and large intakes. Nevertheless, completing an Express Entry profile does not ensure that you will receive a request for a PR application.
Your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) ranking will determine your eligibility for these programs. The number of applicants for Canadian immigration is increasing yearly, increasing competitiveness and pushing the required minimum CRS scores.
This post discusses the Comprehensive Ranking System, explains how CRS scores are calculated, and offers some advice on how to raise your CRS score to improve your prospects of becoming an immigrant through the Express Entry and PNP programs.
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 are 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 can I start the Express Entry procedure?
Step 1: Visit the Express Entry page on CanadaVisa to get started.
Step 2: Use the free CRS calculator to determine your Canada express entry CRS results score.
Step 3: If you are qualified for Express Entry, go to the Express Entry draw page on the CanadaVisa homepage to find out the most current CRS requirements for selected applicants.
Step 4: Determine how to raise your CRS score.
Step 5: Register for Express Entry on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada website (IRCC). You must have passed your language test(s) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
How are Canada Express Entry CRS results 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
1. Core/Human and Spouse/Common-law factors;
Irrespective of a principal applicant’s country of origin, the possible maximum Canada express entry CRS results 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
2. 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
3. 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, and 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, or ITA, is issued to you. If interested, learn how to create a qualifying express entry profile, and here we have some resources 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 besides Express Entry. Try one of these resources!
- How to score high in Canada express entry
- Bump up your low CRS result
- People with CRS scores below 400 should see this
- Tips for meeting the Canada Express Entry CRS cut-off mark
- Best CRS Score To Obtain Canada PR Invitation In 2023
