In 2015, Canada introduced the new Express Entry system for processing applications to most federal economic immigration programs.
Canada’s Express Entry immigration selection system uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank and choose individuals who are eligible to immigrate to Canada under three federal economic immigration programs.
When Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) performs an Express Entry draw from this pool of candidates, the top-ranked candidates receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
These draws occur regularly, approximately once every two weeks. The Comprehensive Ranking System may be a dynamic, competitive system — the more points you accumulate, the more likely it is for you to be invited to apply.
Before being assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score, individuals must first be eligible under one among the subsequent programs:
- Federal skilled worker Class
- Federal Skilled Trades Class
- Canadian Experience Class
Candidates within the pool are assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score out of 1,200.
For single applicants without a spouse or common-law partner, there are:
- Up to 500 points available for core human capital factors, including age, level of education, language ability, and Canadian work experience;
- Up to 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
- Up to 600 points available for extra factors (including a provincial nomination, a legitimate job offer, Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability).
For candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, there are:
- Up to 460 points available for core human capital factors of the principal applicant;
- Up to 40 points for the core human capital factors of the spouse or common-law partner;
- Up to 100 points available for skill transferability factors; and
- Up to 600 points available for extra factors.
Under the 2020-2022 Canada Immigration Levels Plan, the amount of latest permanent residents admitted through Express Entry over the approaching years is set to extend.
Comprehensive Ranking System points factors
Human Capital Factors
- Age
- Education Level
- First language ability
- Second language ability
- Canadian work experience
Age
Single candidates could also be awarded up to 110 points for age for his or her Comprehensive Ranking System score. Candidates with a spouse or partner may receive up to 100 points.
| Age (in years) | Single candidate | With an accompanying spouse/partner |
| under 18 | 0 points | 0 points |
| 18 | 99 | 90 |
| 19 | 105 | 95 |
| 20-29 | 110 | 100 |
| 30 | 105 | 95 |
| 31 | 99 | 90 |
| 32 | 94 | 85 |
| 33 | 88 | 80 |
| 34 | 83 | 75 |
| 35 | 77 | 70 |
| 36 | 72 | 65 |
| 37 | 66 | 60 |
| 38 | 61 | 55 |
| 39 | 55 | 50 |
| 40 | 50 | 45 |
| 41 | 39 | 35 |
| 42 | 28 | 25 |
| 43 | 17 | 15 |
| 44 | 6 | 5 |
| 45 or older | 0 | 0 |
Education Level
Up to 150 points are available for the level of education.
| Level of education | Single candidate | With an accompanying spouse/partner |
| Less than secondary (high) school credential | 0 points | 0 points |
| Secondary school credential | 30 | 28 for PA; 2 for spouse |
| One-year post-secondary program | 90 | 84 for PA; 6 for spouse |
| Two-year post-secondary program | 98 | 91 for PA; 7 for spouse |
| Post-secondary program of 3 or more years | 120 | 112 for PA; 8 for spouse |
| Two or more post-secondary programs, of which at least one was completed after a post-secondary program of three or more years | 128 | 119 for PA; 9 for spouse |
| Master’s or entry-to-practice professional degree | 135 | 126 for PA; 10 for spouse |
| Doctoral Degree (PhD) | 150 | 140 for PA; 10 for spouse |
First Language Ability (English or French)
Comprehensive Ranking System points highlighted in this chart are for every language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening.
Therefore, one candidate may receive up to 136 points (34×4); a candidate with an accompanying spouse or partner may receive up to 148 points (32×4 plus 5×4).
Points for language are awarded as long as a candidate completes an approved language test. The points are yardsticks from the Canadian Language Benchmark levels (CLBs).
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | Single candidate | With an accompanying spouse/partner |
| For each language ability | 34 points | 32 points for PA; 5 points for spouse |
| CLB 3 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 | 6 | 6 for PA; 0 for spouse |
| CLB 5 | 6 | 6 for PA; 1 for spouse |
| CLB 6 | 9 | 8 for PA; 1 for spouse |
| CLB 7 | 17 | 16 for PA; 3 for spouse |
| CLB 8 | 23 | 22 for PA; 3 for spouse |
| CLB 9 | 31 | 29 for PA; 5 for spouse |
| CLB 10 or higher | 34 | 32 for PA; 5 for spouse |
Second Language Ability (English or French)
The points from this chart are for every language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening.
Up to 24 points are available for one candidate’s second language ability. Candidates with a spouse/partner “max out” their points for second language ability at 22 points, regardless of if they get results of CLB 9 or higher altogether abilities. The spouse/partner is merely assessed under his or her mother tongue (first language).
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | Single candidate | With an accompanying spouse/partner (up to 22 points only) |
| For each language ability | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 4 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or higher | 6 | 6 |
Canadian Work Experience within the Comprehensive Ranking System
Up to 100 points are available for Canadian work experience, making it an important part of the Comprehensive Ranking System for Express Entry.
| Number of years | Single candidate | With an accompanying spouse/partner |
| Less than 1 | 0 points | 0 points |
| 1 year | 40 | 35 for PA; 5 for spouse |
| 2 years | 53 | 46 for PA; 7 for spouse |
| 3 years | 64 | 56 for PA; 8 for spouse |
| 4 years | 72 | 63 for PA; 9 for spouse |
| 5 years or more | 80 | 70 for PA; 10 for spouse |
Skill Transferability Factors
Also referred to as combination factors, these points are awarded when a candidate performs well in two areas. Up to 50 points are available for every combination of two factors, with an overall cap of 100 points from among the five combinations. No points are available for the skill transferability of a candidate’s spouse or common-law partner, if applicable.
Education and Canadian Work Experience
| Education | 1 year of Canadian work experience | 2 or more years of Canadian work experience |
| No post-secondary education | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary education of 1 year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, the first of which was 3 or more years in duration | 25 | 50 |
Education and Language Ability
| Education | CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one of these CLB 8 | CLB 9 or higher for all language abilities |
| No post-secondary education | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary education of 1 year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, | 25 | 50 |
| the first of which was 3 or more years in duration |
Language Ability and Non-Canadian Work Experience
| Non-Canadian Work Experience | CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one of these CLB 8 | CLB 9 or higher for all language abilities |
| No non-Canadian work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of non-Canadian work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 or more years of non-Canadian work experience | 25 | 50 |
Canadian and non-Canadian Work Experience
| Experience | 1 year of Canadian work experience | 2 or more years of Canadian work experience |
| No non-Canadian work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of non-Canadian work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 or more years of non-Canadian work experience | 25 | 50 |
Certificate of Qualification in a Trade and Language Ability
| Certificate of Qualification | CLB 5 or higher on all language abilities, with at least one CLB 5 or 6 | CLB 7 or higher on all language abilities |
| Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a province | 25 | 50 |
Additional Factors
The maximum available number of points for these additional factors for each candidate is 600 points.
| Factor | Points |
| Provincial nomination obtained under an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream/category | 600 |
| Qualifying job offer in Senior Management occupation under Major Group 00 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)* | 200 |
| Qualifying job offer in other skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B level)* | 50 |
| Completed one-year or two-year study program in Canada | 15 |
| Completed three-year/Master’s/entry to practice professional degree or Doctorate (PhD) in Canada | 30 |
| French ability of CLB 7 or better AND English ability of CLB 4 or worse (or no English test result at all) | 25 |
| French ability of CLB 7 or better AND English ability of CLB 5 or better | 50 |
| Sibling in Canada** | 15 |
*Until November 2016, it had been the case that a positive LMIA had to accompany this job offer so as for Comprehensive Ranking System points to be awarded.
However, coupled with LMIA-based offers, it’s now possible for a certain set of foreign workers in Canada to get Comprehensive Ranking System points without an LMIA.
The following table shows which foreign workers in Canada could also be ready to obtain points for employment offer without an LMIA.
| May receive points | Must also obtain an LMIA |
| NAFTA | International Experience Canada (IEC) |
| Intra-Company Transfer | Post-Graduation Work Permits |
| LMIA-based Work Permits | Work Permits issued to Spouses/Common-Law Partners of foreign workers and international students in Canada |
| Canada-Provincial/Territorial issued Work Permits | All other Open Work Permits |
Other Work Permits issued under the many benefit to Canada initiative
** Candidates with a sibling in Canada could also be awarded 15 points if the sibling is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and is aged a minimum of 18 years.
Up to fifteen points only could also be awarded for this factor; candidates with over one sibling in Canada are going to be awarded 15 points in total, not 15 points per sibling.
These points can also be awarded if the candidate’s spouse or common-law partner features a sibling in Canada.
The candidate or his or her spouse/common-law partner must share a mother and/or father with the sibling in Canada. This relationship is often through blood, adoption, marriage, or common-law partnership.
If you loved this content, do well to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get updates and engage with other people like you who wish to immigrate to Canada or just immigrated to Canada.
