Immigrate
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
Immigration candidates in the Express Entry pool are ranked against one another using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranking candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.
What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score?
In order to rank immigration candidates, the Canadian government developed a merit-based points system that assigns a score to each candidate in the Express Entry pool. This points system is called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and the score assigned to each candidate is called the CRS score. Express Entry manages three programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Any person who submits a profile to the Express Entry pool of candidates is assigned a CRS score out of 1200 points. Approximately every two weeks, the Canadian government conducts an Express Entry draw, where they issue a round of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to the highest-ranking candidates. Note that IRCC does not disclose information regarding the date of the draw, the number of ITAs that will be issued, or the minimum required CRS score in advance of each draw.
How can I increase my CRS score?
RETAKE THE IELTS
Improving your IELTS score is the number one way to increase your points. On their own, good IELTS results can get you up to 160 points.
But if you have good IELTS and post-secondary education can get you an additional 50 points. Good IELTS and at least three years of work experience can get you another 50 points.
You need to score at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 to be eligible for Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Worker program, which is at least 6.0 on each language ability on the IELTS. But if you can score CLB 9 in all language abilities, you could be looking at up to 260 Express Entry points for just your language ability.
You can also take the IELTS as many times as you want to. You can even update your Express Entry profile with new IELTS test results after you submit your profile to the pool.
Sure Shot provides all of our Express Entry clients access to free online IELTS tutorials to help prepare to take the test. There are a lot of free or paid materials available online to help you prepare.
Immigration Tip: Register to take your IELTS early. That way, if you don’t do as well as you hoped, you have time to retake them before you submit your profile. You can always update your profile, but if you wait until after you’re in the pool to improve your score, you could be missing out on draws.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Since Express Entry manages applications to economic immigration streams, your work experience is a big part of calculating your Express Entry points.
That said, it’s not very easy to accumulate more years of work experience just to improve your Express Entry points.
Immigration Tip: If you’re not eligible for Express Entry, or if you are eligible but don’t have a competitive score, consider coming to Canada first as a student or temporary worker. Canadian experience can open up a lot more Canadian immigration options.
A lot of candidates don’t leverage the work experience that they do have as much as possible, though. Express Entry uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) matrix to assign points to all occupations. Choosing the right NOC code is one of the simplest ways to increase your score.
You’ll need to prove that whatever NOC codes you claim in your work experience are accurate if you receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence, so you should not misrepresent your experience.
That said, it’s worth it to spend some time finding exactly which NOC codes accurately reflect your career history while getting you as many Express Entry points as possible.
The NOC matrix can be confusing to sort through, so consulting an expert to figure out which NOC codes you can claim can be very helpful.
SPOUSAL POINTS
It may not apply to some candidates, but if you have a spouse or common-law partner, you may be missing out on some points you can claim.
There are three possibilities here, and it’s worth looking into them all.
First, your spouse or partner may get you more points. By retaking a language test, or getting an educational credential assessment (ECA) for any post-secondary education they have, your spouse or partner could increase your Express Entry points.
Second, you may actually have a higher score as a single applicant. Since your profile is scored differently depending on whether or not you have an accompanying spouse or partner, depending on your spouse or partner’s profile, you may actually increase your score if you list them as non-accompanying. If you are granted permanent residence, you can still sponsor them to join you in Canada, but it does mean a period of separation.
Third, your spouse may actually be a stronger applicant. You should definitely run through the exercise of trying to calculate how many points your spouse would get if they were the principal applicant, with or without you accompanying them.
Immigration Tip: If you and your spouse or partner are both strong candidates, you can each submit a profile to the Express Entry pool and list each other as accompanying. That way you double your chances of success!
If you’ve done as well as possible on language tests, claimed as many points as possible for your work experience, maximized your spousal points, and still don’t have a competitive score, there are some more challenging ways you can improve it.
JOB OFFER
An eligible job offer from a Canadian employer can get you between 50 to 200 additional points. Spend time on the Canada Job Bank, as well as private job boards and social networking sites to try to connect with Canadian employers in your field.
PROVINCIAL NOMINATION
If you receive a nomination from a province, you get 600 additional points. Many provinces operate a nomination program aligned with Express Entry, but it’s usually up to the candidate to figure out which programs they might be eligible for and how to apply. Keep in mind that applying for a provincial nomination is usually a completely separate application process.
STUDY
Going back to school is a pretty big investment to increase your score, but it can also have a big impact. A short program like a one-year post-secondary certificate could get you a lot of points. If you already have one post-secondary degree of three years or more, worth 120 points, and take a second one-year program, you can claim an additional 8 points for just education. If you already had CLB 9, and two years of Canadian work experience, you can claim an additional 50 points for skills transferability. That’s 58 total additional Express Entry points.
Canadian educational credentials are highly valued in Express Entry, and being an international student can open a lot of other doors to staying in Canada permanently that you might not otherwise be eligible for.
How can a Provincial Nominee Program increase my CRS score?
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) provide pathways to permanent residency for candidates with low CRS scores in the Express Entry pool. Receiving a nomination from a province could result in an additional 600 points toward one’s CRS score, essentially guaranteeing an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA).
Each province sets their own criteria for nominee programs; while many require some type of connection to the province to be eligible to apply, others look for candidates that fill labour market or demographic gaps. Candidates invited under a PNP are expected to settle in the province they are nominated under.
What CRS score is required for PNPs?
Each province sets their own eligibility requirements for Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Some of these programs use the Express Entry system to find their potential nominees. While many of these programs use their own points system, some provinces may use a candidate’s CRS score, among other factors, to decide whether they will be issued an invitation to apply for nomination.
Although these CRS scores may change from draw to draw, some provinces state the minimum CRS score required to be considered for nomination. For example, Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities stream does not send invitations to candidates with a CRS score lower than 400, and Alberta’s Express Entry stream will only consider candidates with a CRS score of at least 300.
Keep up to date on the latest PNP draw requirements using our Provincial Nominee Program Updates Tracker.
Do I get more CRS points if I apply with a spouse?
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points are awarded differently, depending on whether the applicant is married or single.
If a spouse or common law partner is listed as non-accompanying in an application or is already a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, the applicant will earn points as a single applicant.
If an applicant is married and has an accompanying spouse, the spouse should provide language results and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for all post-secondary education. This will enable a candidate to secure the maximum number of points when including a partner on their application.
CRS Score Breakdown Table
The tables below explain how many points Express Entry candidates may receive for each factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates
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 |
A. Core / Human Capital Factors
Factors | Points | |
---|---|---|
With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner | |
Age | 100 | 110 |
Level of education | 140 | 150 |
Official languages proficiency | 150 | 160 |
Canadian work experience | 70 | 80 |
Maximum | 460 | 500 |
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors
Factors | Points |
---|---|
Level of education | 10 |
Official language proficiency | 20 |
Canadian Work Experience | 10 |
Maximum | 40 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points (with OR without a spouse or common-law partner) |
C. Skill transferability factors (maximum 100 points)
Factor | Points |
---|---|
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 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points |
D. Additional points (maximum 600 points)
Factor | Points |
---|---|
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) | 15 |
French language skills | 50 |
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 |
Points breakdown, section by section
A – Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.
- Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all 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 |
First Official Language Factors
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
---|---|---|
*Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
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 |
Second Official Language Factors
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner | Without a spouse or common-law partner |
---|---|---|
*Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
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 |
Canadian Work Experience Factors
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 |
Subtotal: A – Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points
- Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points
B – Spouse or common-law partner factors
Level of Education
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | With spouse or common-law partner | Without spouse or common-law partner |
---|---|---|
Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | n/a |
Secondary school (high school graduation) | 2 | n/a |
One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 6 | n/a |
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute | 7 | n/a |
Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 8 | n/a |
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 9 | n/a |
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 | n/a |
Doctoral level university degree (PhD) | 10 | n/a |
Maximum | 10 | Does Not Apply |
Spouse or common-law partner’s official language abilities
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening) | With spouse or common-law Partner | Without spouse or common-law partner |
---|---|---|
*Points are awarded for each language ability | ||
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 |
Maximum | 20 | Does Not Apply |
Spouse or Common-Law Partner’s Canadian Work Experience
Spouse’s Canadian work experience | With spouse or common-law partner | Without 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 |
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 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 |
Canadian Work Experience and Foreign 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 |
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 | 50 |
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 |
How can I increase my CRS score?
How can I increase my CRS score?
RETAKE THE IELTS
To rank migration competitors, the Canadian government fostered a legitimacy based focuses framework that appoints a score to every up-and-comer in the Express Entry pool. This focuses framework is known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and the score relegated to every competitor is known as the CRS score. Express Entry oversees three projects:
Government Skilled Worker (FSW)
Government Skilled Trades (FST)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Any individual who presents a profile to the Express Entry pool of up-and-comers is appointed a CRS score out of 1200 focuses. Around at regular intervals, the Canadian government leads an Express Entry draw, where they issue a series of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for super durable home to the most noteworthy positioning up-and-comers. Note that IRCC doesn’t reveal data in regards to the date of the draw, the quantity of ITAs that will be given, or the base required CRS score ahead of each draw.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Since Express Entry oversees applications to financial migration streams, your work experience is a major piece of computing your Express Entry focuses.
All things considered, it’s not exceptionally simple to collect more long stretches of work experience just to further develop your Express Entry focuses.
Movement Tip: If you’re not qualified for Express Entry, or on the other hand assuming you are qualified however don’t have a serious score, consider coming to Canada first as an understudy or brief specialist. Canadian experience can open up significantly more Canadian movement choices.
However, a ton of applicants don’t use the work experience that they do have however much as could be expected. Express Entry utilizes the National Occupational Classification (NOC) framework to relegate focuses to all occupations. Picking the right NOC code is perhaps the least difficult method for expanding your score.
You’ll have to demonstrate that whatever NOC codes you guarantee you would say are precise assuming you get a challenge to apply for long-lasting home, so you ought not distort your experience.
All things considered, it’s great to invest some energy finding precisely which NOC codes precisely mirror your vocation history while getting you however many Express Entry focuses as would be prudent.
The NOC lattice can be confounding to figure out, so counseling a specialist to sort out which NOC codes you can guarantee can be exceptionally useful.
Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship is a category of immigration available to the family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Family members eligible to sponsor include:
- Spouse or common-law/conjugal partner
- Dependent child (adopted or biological)
- Parents and grandparents
In some circumstances, you may be eligible to sponsor other family members outside the above-mentioned categories. If you have no other eligible relatives to sponsor you may sponsor the following family members:
- Orphaned brother or sister
- Orphaned nephew or niece
- Orphaned grandchild
Humanitarian and Refugee Immigration
Canada has an international reputation as a leader in accepting new refugees and other immigrants for humanitarian and compassionate reasons. A significant portion of Canada’s annual immigration target is dedicated to admitting refugees.
How Much Money do You Need to Immigrate to Canada?
The cost of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry is generally about $2,300 CAD for a single applicant, or about $4,500 CAD for a couple. This amount does not include the settlement funds that many candidates must show to be eligible for Canadian immigration; this amount will vary by family size, starting at around $13,000 CAD for a single applicant. If a candidate is applying through a provincial program, additional fees may apply. Proof of settlement funds are not required for those with a Canadian job offer or who are applying under the Canadian Experience Class.
All forms of business immigration require significant investment in Canada. It might require the applicant to have invested in a Canadian company or require an applicant to make an interest free loan to the federal or provincial government.
In most cases, you do not provide financial information to sponsor a spouse or dependent child. If you are sponsoring other family members like a parent or grandparent, there is a financial requirement that will need to be met in order to be eligible to apply.
If you are applying under humanitarian and compassionate grounds applications, no financial requirements exist. The only time financial information is required under this category of immigration is if the refugee is a privately sponsored applicant. In that case, the Canadian group sponsoring the refugee must demonstrate that they have raised sufficient funds to sponsor the resettlement of the refugee candidate.
What are the Requirements to Immigrate to Canada?
Each immigration program has its own minimum eligibility requirements. It is important to verify your eligibility prior to applying.
When submitting an application, the Canadian government will request various documents to verify your work experience, education, identity, and criminal and medical background. The types of required documents depend on the program to which you are applying.
In order to determine the documents, you will require, first you have to determine which immigration program is best for you!