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Comprehensive Ranking System

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Comprehensive Ranking System

The key purpose of the Canada Express Entry System is essentially to provide control over the selection of prospective migrants under skilled workers category to Canadian Government through the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

According to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), applicants interested in migration are ranked against each other according to a set of parameters contained in the tool. This is done to meet the objective and precursor to minimum 67 points criteria.

Below are the key components and parameters of the Canada Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking Systems (CRS):

  1. Parameters related to Core human capital;
  2. Parameters related to accompanying spouse or common-law partner;
  3. Parameters related to Skill transferability; and
  4. Parameters relating to a provincial nomination or a qualifying job offer of arranged employment.

Total number of points available under the Express Entry CRS is 1,200.

In case the candidates are filing the application without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, the break of points under CRS would be as followed:

  1. Core human Capital: Maximum 500 points;
  2. Skill transferability: Maximum 100 points; and
  3. With a valid job offer Maximum 200 points
  4. Provincial nomination of a qualifying offer: Maximum 600 points available

And in case the candidates are filing the application with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, the break-up of points under Canada Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is as follows:

  1. Core human Capital of Principal Applicant: Maximum 460 points;
  2. Core human Capital of Spouse: Maximum 40 points
  3. Skill transferability: Maximum 100 points; and
  4. Provincial nomination of a qualifying offer 600 points

Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates

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A) Core / human capital factors

Factors Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner Points per factor – 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

B) Spouse or common-law partner factors

Factors Maximum 40 points
Level of education 10
Official language proficiency 20
Canadian Work Experience 10
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

Factors Points per factor
Education Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree 50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree 50
Factors Points per factor
Foreign work experience Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and foreign work experience 50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience 50
Factors Points per factor
Maximum 100 points
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations) Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification 50
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D) Additional Points

Factors Points per factor
(Maximum 600 points)
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. = Grand total – 1,200
Post-secondary education in Canada 30
Arranged employment 200
PN nomination 600

Points breakdown, section by section

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) – 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 With a spouse (Maximum 460 points)
Number of points (100 maximum)
Without a spouse (Maximum 500 points)
Number of points (110 maximum)
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
Level of Education With a spouse – Number of points (140 maximum) Without a spouse – Number of points (150 maximum)
Less than Secondary school (high school) credential 0 0
Secondary school (high school) credential 28 30
One-year post-secondary program credential 84 90
Two-year post-secondary program credential 91 98
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer 112 120
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 119 128
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. 126 135
University-level credential at the Doctoral level 140 150

Official languages proficiency – first official language

Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability:

  • 32 with a spouse or common-law partner
  • 34 without a spouse or common-law partner
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
level per ability
With a spouse Maximum 128 points Without a spouse Maximum 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

Official languages proficiency – second official language

Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability:

  • 6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)
  • 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
level per ability
With a spouse Maximum 22 points Without a spouse Maximum 24 points
CLB 4 or less 0 0
CLB 5 or 6 1 1
CLB 7 or 8 3 3
CLB 9 or more 6 6
Canadian work experience With a spouse Maximum 70 points Without a spouse Maximum 80 points
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
Subtotal – Core / human capital factors Out of 460 points Out of 500 points

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse factors With spouse – number of points per factor Without spouse (0 points – does not apply)
Less than secondary school (high school) credential 0 n/a
Secondary school (high school) credential 2 n/a
One-year post-secondary program credential 6 n/a
Two-year post-secondary program credential 7 n/a
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer 8 n/a
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 9 n/a
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. 10 n/a
University-level credential at the Doctoral level 10 n/a
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability(Reading, writing, speaking and listening) Maximum 20 points 0 (does not apply)
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
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
Spouse’s Canadian work experience Maximum 10 points 0 (does not apply)
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
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.Subtotal : A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points

CRS – C. Skill transferability factors

Education (Maximum 100 points for this section)

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, one or more under 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
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1&2) 0 0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5) 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 (levels 6,7 & 8) 25 50
Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher)
Years of experience Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 9 (Maximum 25 points) Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first OL abilities (Maximum 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
Years of experience Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 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 and a certificate of qualification
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 7 (Maximum 25 points) Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first OL abilities (Maximum 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification 25 50
Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points
CRS – D. Additional points

(Maximum 600 points)

Additional points Maximum 600 points
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
Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points
Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points

If you have any queries or see yourself as a candidate in any of the above listings, feel free to contact LCC Immigration.