Express Entry: The CRS Score and How to Improve it

CRS or Comprehensive Ranking System is a merit-based points system that assigns a score to each candidate in the Express Entry pool. The score assigned to each person is called a CRS score. Your CRS score is based on the following factors:

• Language
• Education
• Spouse/Partner as a Principal Applicant
• Work Experience

Anyone who applies for the Express Entry profile receives a CRS score out of 1200 points. Approximately every two weeks, the Canadian government conducts an Express Entry draw, where they issue a round of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to the highest-ranking candidates. Note that IRCC does not disclose information regarding the date of the draw, the number of ITAs that will be issued, or the minimum required CRS score in advance of the draw.

All Factors and Maximum CRS Points

Factors	Maximum Points Available
A. Core / Human Capital Factors	460 (with spouse) 500 (without spouse)
B. Spouse or Common-Law Factors	40
C. Skill Transferability Factors	100
D. Additional Points	600
Maximum Total Points	1200

A. Core / Human Capital Factors

Factors	Points
	With a spouse or common-law partner	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
Maximum	460	500

B. Spouse or Common Law Factors

Factors	Points
Level of education	10
Official language proficiency	20
Canadian Work Experience	10
Maximum	40
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

Factor	Points
Education
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree	50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	50
Maximum	50
Foreign work experience
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
Maximum	50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification	50
Maximum	50
Maximum	100
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional Points

Factor	Points
Brother or sister living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)	15
French language skills	30
Post-secondary education in Canada	30
Arranged employment	200
PN nomination	600
Maximum	600
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points

Improve Your CRS Score

There are two major ways to improve your CRS score so you can enhance your chances of immigrating to Canada. The first is to perfect your Express Entry profile. The second is to proactively prepare for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) or Provincial Nomination. Scroll down to learn more.

1. Perfect your profile

Perfecting your profile will help paint a positive picture of yourself to whoever looks at your profile. It is important to display yourself accurately, as there are serious consequences for misrepresentation. The first thing to keep in mind is that the requirements to enter the Express Entry pool are not necessarily the same as those that will maximize your CRS score.

Within your profile, there are certain categories where you can improve your score including in:

• Language
• Education (you can obtain certificates)
• Gather more work experience

2. Proactively Prepare for an ITA or Provincial Nomination

Regardless of your CRS score, everyone in the Express Entry pool should be proactively preparing for an ITA or provincial nomination.

You might only have a CRS score of 299, but a provincial nomination could suddenly increase your score by 600 points, making an ITA in the next Express Entry invitation round all but guaranteed.

Candidates have only 60 days to submit their complete application after receiving an ITA, and several PNPs afford even less time. Having the documents prepared in advance means you are ready to go as soon as you’re invited.

Contact Us for help!

At BluefoxAI, we are committed to providing our clients with the best immigration services. We carefully selected a team of seasoned immigration experts experienced in various Canadian immigration programs. They can provide the most accurate answers to your concerns or questions and help you along the way.

As your first step, our platform can shortlist our authorized immigration experts for your unique case. BluefoxAI’s support team will then connect you to one of our authorized immigration experts based on your application.

Finally, you can arrange a meeting and discuss your application in detail in a complimentary consultation session with an expert, after which you may decide to continue your immigration application at BluefoxAI.