Foreigners planning to immigrate to Canada are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Find out more about how many CRS points you need to score to participate and how many points you need to score to be eligible to move to Canada

Canada actively works to attract new residents, creates preferential conditions for foreigners, supports expats when moving. As of the end of 2022, there were 437,120 permanent residents living in Canada. Most of the foreigners who settled in the country last year were citizens of India, China and Afghanistan.

Since 2015, the Canadian government has been using the Express Entry service to process applications from highly qualified professionals who claim the right to move to the country on a PR. In order to participate in most federal immigration programs, a foreigner must earn a certain number of points. They are calculated using the comprehensive rating system (Comprehensive Ranking System, CRS). Only applicants with the highest rating get the right to move.

How much CRS score is required for Canada immigration? How is CRS calculated? All useful information about the rating is below.

What programs can I participate in through Canada Express Entry?

Canada Express Entry is the fastest way for qualified migrants to obtain permanent residency in Canada.

Canada Express Entry includes three federal immigration programs:

● Federal Skilled Worker Program – Federal program for skilled workers

● Federal Skilled Trades Program – Federal program for representatives of labor professions

● Canadian Experience Class – Federal program for candidates with Canadian work experience

In addition, Express Entry serves a whole list of provincial immigration programs: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

How does Express Entry work?

Express Entry is an online database through which Canada registers all those who wish to move to the country for permanent residence. Each participant is evaluated based on certain factors: basic skills, experience, education, adaptability, etc. Based on the points, the rating of the applicants is made.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada conducts a selection process approximately every two weeks, after which candidates with the highest CRS rating are issued an Electronic Invitation (ITA) and the right to apply for immigration documents. The government does not announce in advance the date of selection of applicants, the total number of invitations and CRS score requirements.

What is CRS?

CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System. This scoring system is used to rank applicants seeking permanent residency through Canada Express Entry.

How are CRS points calculated?

The total number of CRS points an applicant can obtain is 1200.

Factors that are evaluated in Express Entry and the maximum number of points in each category:

● for one applicant for compliance with the main individual criteria (age, level of education, language skills, work experience in Canada) – a maximum of 500 points;

● for adaptability – a maximum of 100 points;

● additional factors (availability of a valid job offer, Canadian education, knowledge of an additional language) - a maximum of 600 points.

When moving with a spouse, 500 points for compliance with the main individual criteria are distributed as follows:

● for compliance with the main individual criteria (age, level of education, language skills, work experience in Canada) for a highly qualified employee participating in the program - a maximum of 460 points;

● for compliance with the main individual criteria (age, level of education, knowledge of the language, work experience in Canada) for a husband/wife - a maximum of 40 points.

How many CRS points are required to participate in Canada's immigration programs?

In order to receive an ITA invitation during the Express Entry draw, you must score a total of CRS points that would equal or exceed the CRS cutoff points for that particular draw.

The CRS cut-off varies from draw to draw, depending on the number of qualified applicants and their GPAs. That is, if the government is issuing more permits or applicants' CRS scores are generally low, expect the CRS cutoff to be low.

According to recent draws, the number of CRS points required to participate in federal programs ranges from 75 to 462 points. Whereas for PNP (Provincial Immigration Program) the range is 674 to 813 points.

Why are the CRS cutoffs for the provincial PNP program so much higher?

Participants in the provincial PNP program receive an additional 600 points from the government. That is, if you scored 200 points on the general factors, participating in the provincial program will give you an additional 600 points, that is, the total amount of CRS will be 800 points. In this way, the number of points for all participants increases, and therefore the overall rating score increases.

How much CRS score required for Canada?

The CRS passing score for permanent residence through the Canada Express Entry system depends on the draw. However, according to recent draw statistics, a good CRS score is 450 points. A CRS score of 760 is required to increase your chances of winning the provincial program.

If you've decided to immigrate to Canada, it's important to choose the program that's right for you and fill in all the information clearly to get the maximum number of CRS points.

Consulting a highly qualified immigration lawyer will help you assess your chances and find the best option for immigration. The specialist will explain in detail the distribution of points by factors, determine your strengths and give important tips for participating in Canada Express Entry.

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