If you're considering immigrating to Canada through the Express Entry program, understanding the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) can be quite beneficial.
Between the first and last draws of 2023, Canada granted 110,266 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Permanent Residence (PR) under its Express Entry system. According to its Immigration Levels Plan 2024-26, government intended to admit 110,000 extra permanent residents via Express Entry in 2024.
To acquire an ITA through Express Entry, you must have a high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) developed the CRS, an online scoring system, to assist the department in identifying economic immigration candidates who are most likely to address urgent labour market needs in Canada.
That means your prospects of acquiring an ITA are strongly dependent on your CRS score. The higher your score, the better and speedier your prospects of moving to Canada via Express Entry.
Can anyone get a CRS score?
To get a CRS score, a candidate needs to be eligible for at least one of the following Express Entry programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); or
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
How does Canada utilise CRS to determine who receives PR?
IRCC conducts Express Entry drawings on a regular basis and invites individuals with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residency.
All Express Entry candidates with scores equal to or higher than the CRS cutoff score earn ITAs. If candidates have the same CRS score, their application date is utilised to break the tie.
The CRS gives points for a number of factors, including
- Skills;
- Education;
- Language ability;
- Work experience;
- Age;
- Family ties to Canada;
- Arranged employment; and
- Other factors.
The CRS score is the sum of a candidate's points for each of these categories. This score can reach as high as 1,200.
How does the CRS compute an individual's score?
The CRS breaks down a candidate’s score according to four sections.
Core Human Capital
This section distributes points based on four factors:
- Age;
- Level of education;
- Official language proficiency for French or English; and
- Canadian work experience.
The maximum amount of points that can be granted to a candidate is determined by whether they are assessed independently or with their spouse.
If a candidate is evaluated individually, they can receive up to 500 points for human capital aspects.
However, if they are examined alongside a spouse or common-law partner, they can receive up to 460 points for human capital characteristics (with an additional 40 points available for spousal human capital elements).
Spouse or common law partner
The additional 40 potential points awarded to people being assessed with a spouse are determined by the partner's qualifications and skills.
Points are distributed according to the following criteria:
- Spouse's educational qualifications;
- Spouse’s Canadian work experience; and
- Spouse’s language proficiency.
Whether a candidate is being evaluated with or without a spouse, the maximum amount of points that can be obtained in these two parts is 500.
Skills transferability
Candidates also gain points based on a variety of characteristics. That is, how their various certifications and skills overlap and mix.
They can score points for the following combinations:
- Foreign work experience + Canadian work experience: up to 50 points.
- Foreign work experience + good official language proficiency: up to 50 points.
- Post-secondary credential + good language proficiency: up to 50 points.
- Post-secondary credential + Canadian work experience: up to 50 points.
Candidates can earn a maximum of 100 points in total for skills transferability.
Additional points
The last section awards points based in various other factors such as:
- having a sibling in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident;
- French language skills, in line with the government’s target to increase the number of French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec;
- post-secondary education in Canada (studying within Canada can earn a candidate extra point);
- arranged employment (the number of points awarded here depends on the National Occupation Classification category that the job belongs to); and
- provincial nominations: a provincial or territorial nomination can earn a candidate an additional 600 points, almost guaranteeing them an ITA during the upcoming draws.
Candidates can earn up to 600 points in total for additional factors.
How high should my score be?
In 2023, IRCC began conducting category-based selection draws to address the country's labour market shortages. CRS cut-off scores for these categories are typically lower than those for general or program-specific draws.
For example, the lowest cut-off score for all the draws in 2023 was 354 for those in agriculture and agri-food occupations on September 28, 2023. Meanwhile, the lowest cut-off score for general draws in the same year was 481, on March 29, 2023.
In 2024, the lowest cut-off score for all drawings at the time of publication was 338 for the French language proficiency category draw on March 26. The lowest cut-off for general draws is 524 on March 25.
If you want to calculate your score, the government of Canada's website shows how many points a candidate can obtain based on their skills and qualifications.
You can calculate your CRS score using a CRS points calculator or manually adding points based on the criteria.
Is it feasible to enhance my CRS score?
Some aspects in your CRS score are beyond your control (such as your age).
However, other elements can be addressed to maximise your CRS score.
Language abilities
English and French language abilities are among the most significant aspects in the CRS.
Being extremely proficient in both can earn you up to 310 points when combined with other criteria.
If you want to increase your CRS score, you might concentrate on your language abilities and then retake the test. Remember that if you score lower on the second test, it is the score that will be used to determine your overall CRS score.
Education
Higher levels of education lead to higher CRS points.
For example, a master's degree earns 135 points, whereas a PhD earns 150 points.
Furthermore, the CRS favours Canadian education, and you will automatically gain 30 points under "additional points" if you have completed a three-year or longer post-secondary education in Canada, or 15 points for a one- or two-year post-secondary education.
Candidates with foreign degrees must obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to ensure that their qualifications are equivalent to a Canadian credential.
Work experience
You can improve your CRS score by gaining more job experience.
This requires that you have done responsibilities in your work that are classified as skilled under Canada's National Occupation Classification (NOC). Next, determine the amount of time you spent on the job.
Candidates with Canadian work experience can receive up to 70 points in the Core Human Capital portion alone, with extra points awarded in the Skills Transferability section based on other characteristics such as education and language skills.
Arranged employment
Those having arranged work in Major Group 00 of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) may earn 200 CRS points. This is usually for senior management positions.
Arranged employment in NOC TEER 1, 2, or 3, or any TEER 0 other than Major Group 00, can result in 50 additional CRS points.
Considering spouse or common-law partner’s qualifications
Those with a spouse or common-law partner should consider whether they would receive more points if their partner was the lead applicant.
For example, a partner may be a better primary applicant if they work in high-demand jobs or have a higher score due to characteristics such as age, educational qualifications, or French language ability.
What if I don’t qualify for Express Entry?
There are other options to immigrate to Canada. This includes:
Base PNP programs: These enable provinces and territories to propose candidates outside of the Express Entry system. Candidates must first meet the requirements for a PNP stream. If they are successful in obtaining a provincial nomination, they can subsequently apply to IRCC for permanent residency.
In addition to economic immigration, Canada provides other immigration options. This includes the following:
Sponsorship for family members and spouses, as well as refugee and humanitarian programs.
