What is CRS Score?

It is known that Canada is the most welcoming country in the world for immigrants. Canada announces their target number of immigrants every year, which is hundreds of thousands. Immigration closes the gaps in Canada’s economy especially in acquiring skillful immigrants that fills in labor shortages. While there are also other countries like the USA, Australia, and United Kingdom with immigration programs for aspiring immigrants, Canada is by far the leading country with higher acceptance rate and a—not necessarily easy but—very viable program for immigration. 

Canada’s federal government launched the Express Entry program on January 1, 2015 which is its main immigration online system. Express Entry treats immigration in an economical approach, making work experience a common denominator across the three immigration programs under it which are Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Provincial Nomination Program.

Express entry is a point-based immigration system that ranks and invites aspiring immigrants by using an assessment tool called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Through this tool, applicants are given points in different core and additional factors such as age, education level, Canadian and foreign work experience, language abilities, and your spouse’s credentials. 

You can get a total of 1200 CRS points:

600 points from Core factors:

1. Skills and experience factors
2. Spouse or common-law partner factors, such as their language skills and education
3. Skills transferability, including education and work experience

600 points from additional factors:

1. Canadian degrees, diplomas or certificates
2. a valid job offer
3. a nomination from a province or territory
4. a brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident
5. strong French language skills

Core points + Additional points = your total score

Core / human capital factors

Factor	Highest Possible Score WIthout Spouse	Highest Possible Score With Spouse
Level of  Education	150	140
Canadian Work Experience	80	70
Age	110	100
Official Languages Proficiency	160	150

 Spouse or common-law partner factors (Max 40 points)

Factor	Highest Possible Score
Level of Education	10
Canadian work experience	10
Official language proficiency	20

Skill Transferability factors (Max 100 points)

Education	Highest Possible Score
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree	50
With Canadian work experience and  a post-secondary degree	50

Foreign work experience	Highest Possible Score
With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience	50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience	50

Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)	Highest Possible Score
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification	50

Additional points (Max 600 points)

Factor	Highest Possible Score
Post-secondary education in Canada	30
French language skills	50
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)	15
Arranged employment	200
Provincial Nomination	600

Why is it important for international students or graduates to know about CRS? 

Any temporary resident such as an international student or graduate who wishes to become a permanent resident in Canada must know how to use or at least interpret the CRS tool to know their score and assess their standings. The earlier you determine your score, the better. This way you have an idea if you have a competitive profile by Canada’s immigration standard—and if not, you’ll have sufficient time to make up for what you are lacking. 

Canada’s need for immigrants and you wanting to immigrate is not enough to get that permanent residency, you must know how to play your cards well. The only way to make it happen is by perseverance and patience.