CRS Score Calculator Tool: Get Your Express Entry Points in 2023
This tool will help you determine your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for Canada Express Entry immigration.
Your estimated Express Entry points will be based on the answers you provide.
For the best experience, we recommend using this CRS Score calculator tool on a laptop or desktop, instead of a mobile device (iPad/tablet or phone).
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Note: This tool is intended solely for general guidance and reference purposes as CRS scores are determined by the Government of Canada.
What is Express Entry?
Without explicit knowledge of the Express Entry program, you can’t fully grasp how a CRS score calculator works. Canada offers several Immigration programs that allow candidates to apply for permanent residency in the country.
The Canada Express Entry Program is one of the quickest and most popular of these programs. It uses the Express Entry points system to select skilled and experienced workers to stay in Canada permanently.
Candidates who are not only skilled workers but can also contribute to the country’s economy are placed in the Express Entry pool of eligible candidates each year.
The Federal Government of Canada manages three economic immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) program,
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and
- The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program.
To get into the Express Entry pool of candidates, you must meet these three federal programs’ eligibility criteria.
For the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category, you must have at least 67 points under several criteria. The criteria are:
- Education
- Age
- Work experience
- Arranged employment
- Language ability
- Adaptability
Each candidate in any of the three federal programs has a CRS score, which you can calculate with a CRS score calculator. This score is used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool. That brings us to the question ⎼ What is a CRS score?
What is a CRS Score?
Every express entry candidate is given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on their profile. A candidate’s score depends on a number of factors like age, language proficiency, level of education, and work experience, amongst others.
The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) assesses the eligibility of all Canada Permanent Residence (PR) visa candidates with this score.
The CRS Score Calculator
The IRCC (formerly CIC – Citizenship and Immigration Canada) modelled the Canada CRS score calculator to get the most eligible candidates to live and work in the country.
You need to have your language test results (e.g., IELTS) and your Educational Credential Assessment ECA report (if your degree is not Canadian) to get your exact CRS score from the CRS score calculator.
However, if you do not have these yet, you can still use the CRS calculator to see how many points you can get for other factors. This Express Entry CRS Calculator tool will use the answers you provide to determine and calculate your CRS score.
The estimated score will give you an idea about your likelihood of being selected for Canadian Permanent Residency through the Express Entry Program.
How does the CRS Score Calculator Calculate CRS Scores?
The Comprehensive Ranking System CRS is a points-based system. Canadian immigration evaluates and scores your profile using this system before ranking it in the Express Entry Pool. The system has a total of 1200 points, called the CRS points.
Your total CRS points out of 1200 is your CRS score. These points are awarded based on these four major categories:
1. Core/Human Capital Factors:
This is the most critical category. This factor covers points for Age, Level of Education, Language Proficiency (English and French), and Canadian Work experience. This section has a maximum of 460 CRS points if you have a spouse or common-law partner and 500 CRS points if you don’t.
2. Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors:
This includes points for accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s education, language proficiency, and Canadian work experience. You can earn a maximum of 40 CRS points under this section.
3. Skill Transferability Factor:
This category helps you gain extra points on your profile for a combination of factors,e.g. a combination of your language proficiency, education, and non-Canadian work experience. The maximum number of CRS points you can earn under this section is 100.
4. Additional Factors:
This last category awards 600 additional points to your profile for a Provincial nomination, valid job offer, etc. You can earn a maximum of 600 points under this section.
How CRS Points for Express Entry Candidates are Awarded
The table below summarizes how points for the CRS score are awarded for each factor. Below we have the factors section-by-section and how the points are awarded when you calculate the CRS score.
1. Core / Human Capital Factors
| Factors | Maximum CRS Points per factor – With an accompanying spouse/common-law partner | Maximum CRS Points per factor – Without an accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 100 | 110 |
| Education Level | 140 | 150 |
| Canadian Work Experience | 70 | 80 |
| Official Languages Proficiency | 150 | 160 |
| Total | 460 | 500 |
2. Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors
| Factors | Points per factor |
|---|---|
| Education Level | 10 |
| Official languages proficiency | 20 |
| Canadian Work Experience | 10 |
| Total | 40 |
Note:
1 + 2 (i.e. Core/human capital + Spouse or common-law partner factors) = Maximum 500 points (with or without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner).
3. Skill Transferability Factors
| Education | Points per factor (Max = 50 points) |
|---|---|
| Combination of good official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree. | 50 |
| Combination of Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree. | 50 |
| Foreign Work Experience | Points per factor (Max = 50 points) |
|---|---|
| Combination of good official languages proficiency at (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience. | 50 |
| Combination of Canadian work experience and foreign work experience. | 50 |
| Certificate of Qualification (for people in trade occupations) | Points per factor (Max = 50 points). |
|---|---|
| Combination of a certificate of qualification and good official language proficiency. | 50 |
Note: 1 + 2 + 3 (i.e. Core/Human Capital + Spouse or common-law partner + Transferability factors) = Maximum of 600 points.
4. Additional Points
| Factors | Maximum CRS points per factor |
|---|---|
| French Language ability | 30 |
| Sibling living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident). | 15 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada (credential of three years or more) | 30 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada (credential of one or two years) | 15 |
| PNP nomination | 600 |
| Arranged employment | 200 |
What is the Minimum CRS Score for the Express Entry Program?
There is no fixed minimum required CRS score. The score changes according to IRCC’s requirements. You will need to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from IRCC before becoming a Canadian permanent resident. Your CRS score has to be equal to or above the cut-off score for a specific draw in order to be invited to apply.
IRCC holds Express Entry draws in which they issue ITA for Canada Permanent Resident Visa to candidates who meet the minimum required score. High-ranking candidates and candidates that have been in the Express Entry pool for a longer duration are given priority. Once you get an ITA, you will have sixty days to turn in your complete application to IRCC.
The IRCC will then issue you and your dependents a Canada PR visa if they are satisfied with the information you provided. The entire process takes around eight to ten months, although IRCC’s aim is for applications to be completed within six (6) months from when they receive a complete application.
COVID-19 Update:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significant delays by IRCC in processing Express Entry applications. Thus IRCC has not been meeting the 6 month processing timeline.
Some applicants have indicated that their Express Entry application in process have still not been finalized after 3 years.
The minimum CRS score can occasionally go higher than the previous draw or lower. Although most times, the trend is typically upward. The all-program draw held recently had a minimum CRS score of 471.
How to Enhance Your CRS Score
The best way to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) is by getting an excellent CRS score.
Have you used the CRS score calculator and discovered that you do not have enough CRS points or your score is below the minimum CRS score for recent Express Entry draws? The following factors can help you increase your CRS points:
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): When a province selects you for a provincial nomination, you get an additional 600 points on your current CRS score. This will automatically get you an ITA in the following draw. Keep in mind that the expectation is that you will have to live in that province if you get your permanent residence through a provincial nomination.
- You can also get extra points if you have a sibling or spouse living in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident.
- If you have only completed your bachelor’s degree, you can enroll for your masters in a reputable university to get extra points.
- Improve your language score: If you perform well in language tests, (e.g. IELTS) and get a high score, your CRS score will increase. For instance, if you score a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 9 in the language test, up to 136 points will be added to your CRS ranking.
In addition, taking a French language test can also add up to 24 points to your score.
- Get a job offer: If you get a job offer from a Canadian employer, you will gain an additional 200 points.
- Get a job offer recognized by LMIA: If you get a work offer that is approved by the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from a Canadian employer, you can get up to 600 points added to your CRS points.
- Continue working: If you have less than three years of full-time work experience, you can get additional points if you keep working and increase your years of experience.
- Apply with your spouse for PR: If you are married or have a common-law partner, applying with your spouse for Express Entry will earn both of you extra points. Your spouse’s language proficiency would earn 20 points, while the Canadian work experience and level of education can earn you as much as 10 points each. That will add a total of 40 points to your CRS score.
Once you have done any of the above, we recommend that you recalculate your score using the CRS points calculator.
NOTE:
Your Express Entry profile is only valid for twelve (12) months. If you do not get an ITA during the 12 months, your Express Entry profile will expire, and you will have to create a new profile.
FAQs: CRS Score Calculator, Canada
How is the CRS score calculated?
Each Express Entry candidate gets a score out of 1,200, based on the four sections of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) formula. The highest-ranking candidates from the pool are the ones invited to apply as permanent residents.
The following factors are used to award CRS points:
- Core or Human Capital factors
- Spouse or common-law partner factors
- Skill Transferability factors
- Additional factors
| Core or Human Capital Factors + Spouse or Common-law partner Factors + Skill Transferability Factors | = 600 points |
| Additional factors | = 600 points |
| Total Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score = 600 + 600 | = 1200 points |
Is 450 a good CRS score?
Canada PR chances are good with a CRS score of 450+. If your CRS score is between 400-450, you should consider PNP options (province-sponsored Canada PR) to help boost your PR points. If your score is below 400, your best chance is PNP. You can also try to improve your CRS score by enrolling for a higher degree than what you currently have.
How much CRS score is required for Canada PR?
With a CRS score of around 470 points, applicants can be issued an ITA without needing a job offer or a provincial immigration program nomination.
Is 6.5 a good score in IELTS for Canada?
The requirement is a minimum overall band score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in each section of the general IELTS test – no band below 5.0.
IELTS Band Score Skill Level:
- 8 Very good
- 7 Good
- 6 Competent
- 5 Modest
How often are express entry draws?
The Canadian government conducts express entry draws approximately every two weeks. Each of the draws has a CRS cut-off score. The CRS cut-off score is the minimum CRS score of the lowest-ranking candidate that will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canada permanent residence.
Why is Express entry score so high?
The Express Entry system has become more competitive as more PR candidates upload profiles. Express Entry ranks candidates’ profiles in the Express Entry pool with their CRS scores. Immigrants who possess higher work experience and skills in high demand are ranked higher.
To target immigrants with high skills, IRCC primarily invites those with a higher CRS score, thus raising the CRS score minimum threshold. However, these profiles are limited in numbers. Therefore there is a possibility that IRCC may decrease future express entry CRS cut-off score to meet Canada’s admission targets for new immigrants.
Does handwriting matter in IELTS?
Yes, your handwriting matters! The IELTS is a written test so if your handwriting is poor, the IELTS examiners may not be able to comprehend what you’ve written.
Final Words: CRS Score Calculator
Now that you’ve calculated your CRS score with our CRS score calculator, check out our comprehensive guide on the cost of Express Entry in Canada and stay up-to-date on the latest Canada immigration news.