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Reviewed March 2025
The Canada visa score, commonly known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, holds significant importance in the immigration journey of individuals aiming to establish themselves in Canada. Serving as a pivotal factor in assessing applicants, this numeric evaluation establishes their suitability for different Canadian immigration pathways
The Canada visa score or Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a complex scoring system that considers a diverse array of elements, encompassing education, professional background, language proficiency, and additional criteria.
In this article, Wego will delve into the intricacies of the Canada visa points system, explaining how it works, why it matters, and how aspiring immigrants can navigate this system to realize their Canadian dream.
Table of Contents
What is Canada visa score?
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), or Canada’s immigration points system, to evaluate which Express Entry draw candidates are best suited for the program and determine who should be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residency.
Express Entry applicants create a profile and are assessed based on the following criteria:
- Age
- Education
- Language ability
- Work experience
- Other factors
Your scores in different categories will be assigned, and they will subsequently be summed up to determine your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score.
Please note that the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) ranks applicants who apply through any of Canada’s three Express Entry immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program
- The Federal Skilled Trade Program
- The Canada Experience Class
Canada visa score requirements
When you apply for permanent residence through Canada’s Express Entry system, you’ll have the chance to score a maximum of 1,200 CRS points from two main categories:
- Core points = 600 points
- Additional points = 600 points
Core CRS points
Applicants get Core CRS points for the following factors:
- Skills and experience factors
- Spouse or common-law partner factors
- Skills transferability, for example, education and work experience
Additional CRS points
Applicants can get additional CRS points in the following cases:
- Canadian degrees, diplomas or certificates
- A valid job offer
- A nomination from a province or territory
- A brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)
- Strong French language skills
Canada visa score table
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 | Points per factor (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 (maximum 100 points)
|
|
|---|---|
| Education | Points per factor (maximum 50 points) |
| With good/strong official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
| Foreign work experience | Points per factor (maximum 50 points) |
| With good/strong official language 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) | Points per factor (Maximum 50 points) |
| With good/strong official language 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 (maximum 600 points) |
|
|---|---|
| Factor | Maximum points per factor |
| Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident) | 15 |
| French language skills | 50 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada | 30 |
| Arranged employment – TEER 0 Major group 00 | 200 |
| Arranged employment -NOC TEER 1, 2 or 3, or any TEER 0 other than Major group 00 | 50 |
| PN nomination | 600 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – maximum 1,200 points
For a more detailed table regarding the points for each category, please refer to the official website of the Government of Canada.
Canada visa score calculator
You can calculate your Canada visa score by using the CRS tool from the official website of the Government of Canada. The CRS tool is essentially designed to assist applicants in determining their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on the responses provided below.
The CRS is a point-based system utilized to evaluate and rate the applicant’s profile, ultimately placing it within the Express Entry pool. You should make use of this tool if you meet the following criteria:
- You qualify for at least one Express Entry program
- You have not completed an Express Entry profile yet but would like to estimate your potential Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score
- You have received an invitation to apply for permanent residence and wish to explore how modifying your profile could impact your CRS score
Please note that to receive an invitation to apply, your CRS score must surpass the minimum points threshold established for the specific round of invitations. The cut-off scores may vary with each round.
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