Canadian immigration through the Express Entry Program is impossible without dealing with the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Express Entry was introduced in 2015 and CRS has been in use ever since.
The Comprehensive Ranking System works with a detailed-oriented approach. It requires evidence to figure out those immigrants who have higher chances of excelling in the labor market of Canada. Each Express Entry candidate receives scores under the Human Capital criteria including education, language, skills, and work experience. The candidates are compared with one another based on the scores they receive.
Eligibility process for a CRS score
To be applicable for CRS, candidates should qualify for any one of the three main Express Entry Streams: (FSTP) Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
These programs provide the CRS scores to the candidates.
How does the CRS operate?
The calculation of CRS scores uses different factors and they go as high as 1200 points. Attaining higher scores will lead you to have increased chances to receive an invitation to apply.
Allocation of points
The points are allocated based on the following four main factors:
- Human Capital– Age, Canadian Skilled Work Experience, Education, and Language.
- Spouse or Common-Law Partner– Language, Education, and Work Experience.
- Skill Transferability– Aspects such as Education, Language proficiency, and Work Experience.
- Other Factors– Canadian Sibling, Language proficiency in both English and French, and Provincial Nomination.
Human Capital
All the four essential factors of Human Capital can contribute to a good 500 points. Language holds value because of the highest points of 150 concerning a single applicant. The other factors such as education account for 140 points, age factor with 100 points, and Canadian work experience with 70 points.
Age
Those individuals who are in their prime age (below the 20s) during work experience are liable to receive the maximum points. Individuals in their 20s can attain 100 points, in their 30s the chances of attaining points decline and once they reach 45 years of age the points come to zero.
Refer to the table given below:
| Age (in years) | If a spouse accompanies you (maximum points are: 100) | If a spouse doesn’t accompany you (maximum points are: 110) |
| Below 18 | NA | NA |
| 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 or above | 0 | 0 |
Minimum Canadian Work Experience
Every Express Entry program requires minimum skilled working experience in NOC (National Occupation Classification) based occupations falling under skills A, O, or B.
The Comprehensive Ranking System is designed to provide additional points to those having considerable working experience in Canada. As per the research conducted by Statistics Canada, it is observed that Canadian work experience brings out the best side of an economy specifically for people who acquired work experience before obtaining permanent residency in Canada.
An applicant having more than 5 years of experience in Canada has a chance of scoring up to 80 points whereas you need to score a minimum of 40 points for those with I year of work experience.
| Number of years | If a spouse accompanies (maximum points are: 70 for Parents & 10 for spouse) | If a spouse doesn’t accompany (maximum points are: 80) |
| Less than 1 | NA | NA |
| 1 year | 35 for Parents & 5 for spouse | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 for Parents & 7 for spouse | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 for Parents & 8 for spouse | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 for Parents & 9 for spouse | 72 |
| 5 years or above | 70 for Parents & 10 for spouse | 80 |
Language test approved by the Canadian government
There is a language proficiency requirement that needs to be fulfilled. You will require a valid and authentic test completion in Canada’s official languages English or French. You will need to meet the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark). Points below 4 or 5 will be considered negligible. The minimum score for CLB is 7 which will give you 23 points. A CLB score of 10 will give you 34 points.
Refer to the table given below and also note that all four aspects of language ability are included within the CLB system.
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | If a spouse accompanies (maximum points are: 128 for Parents & 20 for spouse) | Without a spouse (maximum points are: 136) |
| For each language proficiency | 32 points for Parents and 5 points for spouse | 34 points |
| CLB 3 or less | 0 | NA |
| CLB 4 | 6 for parents & 0 for spouse | 6 |
| CLB 5 | 6 for parents & 1 for spouse | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 for parents & 1 for spouse | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 for parents & 3 for spouse | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 for parents & 3 for spouse | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 for parents & 5 for spouse | 31 |
| CLB 10 or above | 32 for parents & 5 for spouse | 34 |
Education- All Requirements
Candidates having a secondary or post-secondary Canadian education can enhance their score level under the CRS. You need to show that you’ve acquired education equal to Canadian education standards (outside Canada) with the help of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The more years you have to devote to education the more points you’re likely to achieve.
Candidates who have obtained a Bachelor’s degree, and who’ve completed a program of at least 3 years or more from any college, technical school, university, or institute can contribute 120 points.
Candidates under longer programs such as Ph.D. can score 150 points. Candidates with secondary education will receive only 30 points.
| Level of education | If your spouse accompanies you (Maximum points are: 140 for parents, 10 for spouse) |
If your spouse accompanies you (maximum points are: 150) |
| Below secondary (high) school credential | N.A | N.A |
| Secondary school credential | 28 for parents & 2 for spouse | 30 |
| One-year (post-secondary program) | 84 for parents & 6 for spouse | 90 |
| Two-year (post-secondary program) | 91 for parents & 7 for spouse | 98 |
| Post-secondary program – 3 or above years | 112 for parents & 8 for spouse | 120 |
| Two or more post-secondary programs, (with at least one being completed after three years & above post-secondary program) | 119 for parents &9 for spouse | 128 |
| Professional degree at Master’s or entry-to-practice | 126 for parents & 10 for spouse | 135 |
| Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) | 140 for parents & 10 for spouse | 150 |
Points concerning spouse or partners
The allocation of points mainly depends upon whether you’re applying on your own or you’re applying with a spouse.
If you are interested in applying for Express Entry with a spouse you will receive 40 points less as compared to the individuals, but these points can be compensated through your partner’s human capital.
The points for each applicant will remain the same as with those who’re in a relationship. However, the calculation of points will differ.
In the case of immigration with a spouse or common-law partner, they should be able to provide an estimate of the CRS score using a CRS calculator.
A spouse or partner with high scores should act as the principal applicant to increase the overall CRS score.
Skill Transferability
If the candidates represent a combined experience in terms of work and education, both inside and outside Canada, then they can get up to additional 100 points. Another successful combination is between post-secondary education and a high CLB score.
Education and Canadian Work Experience
| Education | Canadian work experience (above 1 year) | Canadian work experience (above 2 years) |
| No post-secondary education | NA | NA |
| Post-secondary education (of 1 year or above) | 13 | 25 |
| (post-secondary credentials –2 or above), the first of which was 3 or above | 25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential (master’s level or at the level of an entry-level) professional degree based on the National Occupational Classification at Skill Level A (licensed by a provincial regulatory body) | 25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential- Doctoral level | 25 | 50 |
Education and Language Proficiency
| Education | CLB 7 or higher in all four language abilities (with one of these CLB 8) | CLB 9 or higher- 4 language abilities |
| Without post-secondary education | NA | NA |
| Post-secondary education- (1 year or above) | 13 | 25 |
| Two or above post-secondary credentials, (With the first one being 3 or above years) |
25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential (Master’s level or at the level of an entry-level) professional degree based on the National Occupational Classification at Skill Levels A with provincial regulatory body licensing | 25 | 50 |
| A university-level credential- Doctoral level | 25 | 50 |
Language Proficiency and Work Experience other than Canada
| Non-Canadian Work Experience | CLB 7 or higher- all language aspects, with one of these of CLB 8 | CLB 9 or higher including language aspects |
| Without a non-Canadian work experience | NA | NA |
| 1 or 2 years (non-Canadian work experience) | 13 | 25 |
| 3 or above years of non-Canadian work experience | 25 | 50 |
Work Experience in Canada and Non-Canadian Work Experience
| Experience | Canadian work experience (1 year) | Canadian work experience (2 years & above) |
| No non-Canadian work experience | NA | NA |
| non-Canadian work experience (1 or 2 years) | 13 | 25 |
| non-Canadian work experience (above 3 years) | 25 | 50 |
Qualifying Certificate in Trade and Language Proficiency
| Qualification Certificate | CLB 5 or beyond- all language aspects, (with at least one CLB 5 or 6) | CLB 7 or beyond- all language aspects |
| Qualification Certificate in a trade (occupation issued by a province) | 25 | 50 |
Other Factors
There are other factors involved within the Comprehensive Ranking System. Candidates with siblings as well as candidates acquiring a minimum CLB score of 7 will be in both Canadian languages, French and English.
Provincial Nominee Programs provide the highest points possible. Candidates receiving interest on behalf of the province will need to apply for nomination by choosing a specific province.
A successful provincial nomination denotes a guaranteed additional 600 points under the CRS of the Express Entry profile. Also, such a situation gives comparatively higher scores than many other candidates. Once a candidate receives a higher score, he will also be able to apply for permanent residency status in Canada from IRCC.
The next step after receiving your CRS Score
You will also need to wait for the IRCC draws that take place twice a week once you receive your CRS score. The standard minimum CRS score depends on IRCC, Immigration, Refugees, and Canadian Citizenship. It decides the cut-off of CRS scores for candidates and those scoring higher points also receive an ITA. After receiving the ITA, you will get 60 days within which you will need to submit your PR application with the accurate documents.
IRCC also plans to resume all the draws from the beginning of early July and with this, it will also continue the Express Entry’s PR applications to be processed within six months.
How does one improve their CRS Score?
Increasing your CRS score needs some planning and you must not forget to emphasize all the controllable factors to do so. For instance, your age isn’t something you can control, but it does play a major role if you are above 30. You will start losing your crucial points. Therefore, you can plan to apply sooner than that at least.
Your language test scores play a significant role as they can fetch you higher CRS points. You can keep giving your language to improve your score and attain the desired CLB score.
Factors such as not being eligible under the Express Entry program and even a lack in your CRS score will make it impossible for you to move to Canada through a temporary work permit or even as a student. Canadian work experience and study experience largely contribute to your CRS score.
What will happen if I get a low CRS score?
Your Canadian immigration journey doesn’t end with a low CRS score. Even though you are done with your language test and submitted an ECA, you can remain in the Express Entry pool by applying for the Express Entry. This will provide you with a chance of receiving the invitation to apply. You might even receive notification to apply through a specific province (PNP). This will ensure an ITA for permanent residence.
Human capital scores are essential and they can be improved by repeatedly giving the language tests. IRCC considers the higher scores in your profile and you are even allowed to update your Express Entry profile whenever you want to.
There are many other permanent residence pathways in Canada that you can figure out for yourself. IRCC provides freedom to its candidates to not only apply through Express Entry Pool but also lets you apply through other federal and provincial immigration programs.
