The Comprehensive Ranking System also known as CRS is the factor that helps in giving the ranking to the immigrant’s Canadian immigration profile. The ranking of the profile assures whether the candidate will receive an Invitation to Apply or not. The use of the CRS score is major in the Express Entry pool The applicants get the ranking as per the CRS calculation based on four specific CRS criteria in their profile. They are mainly; language credentials (French/English), age, educational qualifications, and work experience.
How does the CRS score work?
The CRS is a system for point calculation that is used to assess and mark the candidate’s profile. Based on this score, a candidate gets his or her ranking in the Express Entry pool.
The points you get from the CRS include a core set of points up to 600 and a set of additional points of up to 600. Your total score will be out of 1,200.
Major Score: 600 Maximum Scoring Points based on:
- Skills transferability, including education and work experience
- A common-law partner factor, such as their education and language skills
- Skills and experience factors
Additional Score: Up to 600 Points based on:
- Canadian degrees, diplomas, or certificates
- Holding a valid job offer
- Having a nomination from a province or territory
- A sister or brother staying in Canada who already has a citizen or a permanent resident
- strong French language skills
Core points + Additional points = your total score
If you’d like to see what your score would be if you filled out a profile, use our Comprehensive Ranking System tool.
Factors Affecting the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
There are 4 major factors affecting the CRS score.
1. Age
The first CRS Criteria is age as much as the candidate is younger they will receive more points.
However, candidates below the age of 18 years old are not considered effective, skilled, and qualified candidates.
Why is age one of the main criteria?
As Canada has a maximum elderly population, there is more need for young candidates. The young candidates are much fit and are expected to work longer and with more effort than older people.
Also, the tagged population becomes a liability to some extent for the government as they are unproductive;
- biologically, and
- economically.
Therefore, the country requires young, fit, and skilled immigrants to contribute to the country’s economy.
2. Language Ability
As per the Canada CRS criteria, the next factor or the judging criteria is Language ability. That means the candidate should be either proficient in English or French. They must be able to speak, read, write, and understand either one of the mentioned languages or better if both.
Why is Language Ability one of the CRS criteria?
Language is one of the most important criteria for immigrants as well as for local candidates. Because language is the basic yet most important medium to communicate. Without communication, no work is neither possible nor effective until delivered to the end user.
Only if the candidate is aware and able to communicate well, they can work efficiently and quickly. The adjustment of a candidate who is fluent in the native or official language can adjust better to an entirely new environment..
3. Educational Credential
Canada prefers highly educated and young candidates so that their productivity is quantitative and qualitatively more useful and capital-generating. Therefore, the preference of higher education credential holders is more specially in professions like doctors, engineers, professors, I.T. professionals, etc.
The more the candidate adds to their educational credential the CRS points become higher.
Why is Education one of the CRS criteria?
The more a candidate keeps on adding to his or her educational credential the higher the CRS points become. It is expected that the more knowledge you gain about the stream, the better you express your knowledge through your work. And directly or indirectly that benefits the company and improves the country’s GDP.
4. Work Experience
The experience of work, of the candidate, is even a major CRS criteria for CRS calculation. As more as a candidate is experienced he or she will be able to perform in that field. The output of an experienced holder is always better and more profitable in comparison to a fresher in that field.
Why is work experience one of the CRS criteria?
The experience is kept as one of the CRS criteria by Immigration Refugee Citizenship Canada to ensure that the quality of work is not compromised. And it is considered that the quantity of work is more with the smooth functioning of the entire system. More years of experience in the field in which the candidate would be serving within the 10 years, ensures that the candidate is even updated with the latest technologies, and ideologies and is aware of recent updates in that field. This would help them provide better quality work according to the company’s requirements.
Comprehensive Ranking System Score Calculator
1. Age
| The Age of the Candidate | Without a Common-law Partner (Maximum 110 points) | With a Common-Law partner (Maximum 100 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 years or less | 0 | 0 |
| 18 years of age | 99 | 90 |
| 19 years of age | 105 | 95 |
| 20 to 29 years of age | 110 | 100 |
| 30 years of age | 105 | 95 |
| 31 years of age | 99 | 90 |
| 32 years of age | 94 | 85 |
| 33 years of age | 88 | 80 |
| 34 years of age | 83 | 75 |
| 35 years of age | 77 | 70 |
| 36 years of age | 72 | 65 |
| 37 years of age | 66 | 60 |
| 38 years of age | 61 | 55 |
| 39 years of age | 55 | 50 |
| 40 years of age | 50 | 45 |
| 41 years of age | 39 | 35 |
| 42 years of age | 28 | 25 |
| 43 years of age | 17 | 15 |
| 44 years of age | 6 | 5 |
| 45 years or more | 0 | 0 |
2. Language Ability
If English or French is your first language.
| First Official Language Factors | ||
| CLB level | With a common-law partner | Without a common-law partner |
| 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 above | 32 | 34 |
| Maximum | 128 | 136 |
If English or French is your second language.
| Second Official Language Factors | ||
|---|---|---|
| CLB Level | With a common-law partner(Maximum 22 points) | Without a common-law partner(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 |
3. Educational Qualification
| Educational Qualification | Without a common-law partner (Maximum 150 points) | With a common-law partner (Maximum 140 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 0 | 0 |
| High school pass | 30 | 28 |
| One-year graduation degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or another institute | 90 | 84 |
| Two-year programs from a recognized university, college, trade or technical school, or another institute | 98 | 91 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program from a recognized university, college, trade or technical school, or another institute | 120 | 112 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 128 | 119 |
| Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 135 | 126 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 150 | 140 |
4. Work Experience
| Canadian Work Experience | With a common-law partner (Maximum 70 points) | Without a common-law partner (Maximum 80 points) |
|---|---|---|
| <1 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 |
Need for a Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS)
The need for Comprehensive Ranking comes when a candidate applies for an Express Entry Immigration Pathway or under any Provincial Nomination Express Entry program.
Documents Requirement for getting a CRS Score
Once you receive your ITA in the Express Entry draw, you will be required to submit the following documents to legitimize your score by the Canada CRS points calculator.
- An offer Letter: A job offer letter for paid, full-time employment by a lawful employer from a Canadian-based company. It must also be in the TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3, and must be supported by the Labour Market Impact Assessment. LMIA is a required document by the employer that states the Canadian requirement of a foreign skilled worker to fill a job.
- Language proficiency test results: Language Proficiency tests such as IELTS, TEF, CELPIP-G, and TCF Canada are accepted. These test results must not be older than 2 years.
- ECA or Educational Credential Assessment: It is used to demonstrate that the foreign degree, certificate, or diploma is valid and is equivalent to its Canadian counterpart. ECAs are of various types and the applicant must get an ECA for immigration. The validity of an ECA report is 5 years.
- PNP Nomination (If Nominated): If the applicant has been nominated through the PNP program, she/he must submit the nomination letter.
Use of a Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS)
Coming on the use of a Comprehensive Ranking system it means what this tool is for and when a candidate is supposed to use it. And so on as listed below.
- Firstly if you are in any one of the Express Entry Programs.
- Secondly, in case you have to calculate your CRS score before applying to any one of the Express Entry Streams or programs.
- Lastly, if a candidate has received a nomination and wants to re-evaluate whether the changes in their criteria affect their CRS score in a negative or positive manner.
Improve Comprehensive Ranking Score
Changes such as the following may increase your CRS point:
- Higher education
- Additional certification courses
- Improved result of your language test
- Getting an addition to your Canadian work experience
- Changes in rules awarding points
- Changes in family status / marital status
Negatively impacting your Comprehensive Ranking Score
Changes that may decrease your CRS points.
- If the new language test marks are less than the earlier one.
- Loss of a job offer.
- Age
- Expired Language score
- Medical challenges during filing
- Changes in family status / marital status
- Changes in rules awarding points
Questions that would be judged to get a Comprehensive Ranking Score
- What is your marital status?
- How old are you?
- What is your level of education?
- Have you earned a Canadian degree, certificate, or diploma?
- Official languages: Canada’s official languages are English and French.
You need to submit language test results that are less than two years old for all programs under Express Entry, even if English or French is your first language.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Comprehensive Ranking System also known as CRS is the factor that helps in giving the ranking to the immigrant’s Canadian immigration profile.
You can improve your CRS by re-getting a language test and adding to your education credentials.
The minimum CRS score depends on the stream and the draw cutoff. However, 450 is the minimum requirement for qualifying to get the PR. everything above that can be considered as a good score.
