What if my CRS score is below 400 points?

Other than the Express entry program, there is a provincial nomination program (PNP) that can provide you another immigration pathway to Canada PR Visa with a low CRS score. Many PNPs programs require a low CRS score to be eligible like SINP - Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, etc. Also, the AIPP - Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program provides another immigration pathway to Canada PR Visa with a CRS score of fewer than 400 points.

How can I get a Canada PR Visa with a low CRS score?

The Provincial Nominee Program - PNP is a path that can get you to Canada even with a low CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score. Recently, Alberta invited migrants with a CRS as low as 300. Canadas PNP target is expected to increase to 67,800 in 2020 and 71,300 in 2021.

What is a good CRS score?

Looking at the recent all program Express Entry draws, the CRS score cut-off has been between 470 to 475 CRS points. For now, the good CRS score is to score around 470 points, this can ensure you get an ITA to apply for a Canada PR Visa.

Why is the CRS score increasing?

With the CRS score, express entry ranks the profiles in the express entry pool. Higher ranked profiles are for immigrants with high-demanding skills and higher work experience. To target only those immigrants with high skill-sets, IRCC mainly invites those to express entry profiles with a higher CRS score, thus increasing the CRS score cut-off. But these profiles are in limited numbers, and to meet the admission targets for new immigrants, the CRS score for Canada PR Visa is bound to decrease.

Does the NOC code affect the CRS score?

NOC codes affect your CRS scores in two ways: To get the CRS points for work experience, you need to have required work experience in NOC skill level 0, A or B. Second, you can also get extra CRS points depending on the NOC level of your job offered in your job offer letter. For example, for a NOC 00 level job you get extra 200 CRS points.

CRS SCORE CALCULATOR

Check Your Eligibility

Enter Your Name

Enter Your Email Id

Country

State

Phone Number

What is your marital status?

Is your spouse or common-law partner a citizen or permanent resident of Canada?

Will your spouse or common-law partner come with you to Canada?

How old are you?

Choose the best answer:

If you’ve been invited to apply, enter your age on the date you were invited.
OR
If you plan to complete an Express Entry profile, enter your current age.

What is your level of education?

Enter the highest level of education for which you:

earned a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate or
had an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you did your study outside Canada. (ECAs must be from an approved agency, in the last five years)

Note: a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate must either have been earned at an accredited Canadian university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute in Canada. Distance learning counts for education points, but not for bonus points in your profile or application.

Have you earned a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate?

Note: to answer yes:

English or French as a Second Language must not have made up more than half your study
you must not have studied under an award that required you to return to your home country after graduation to apply your skills and knowledge
you must have studied at a school within Canada (foreign campuses don’t count)
you had to be enrolled full time for at least eight months, and have been physically present in Canada for at least eight months

Choose the best answer to describe this level of education.

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.

Are your test results less than two years old?

Which language test did you take for your first official language?

Enter your test scores:

Speaking: Listening: Reading: Writing:

Do you have other language results?

If so, which language test did you take for your second official language?

Test results must be less than two years old.

Enter your test scores for:

Speaking: Listening: Reading: Writing:

Work Experience

In the last ten years, how many years of skilled work experience in Canada do you have?

It must have been paid and full-time (or an equal amount in part-time).

Note: In Canada, the National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the official list of all the jobs in the Canadian labour market. It describes each job according to the training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) needed to work in the job.

"Skilled work" in the NOC is TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 category jobs:

If you aren’t sure of the NOC TEER category for this job, you can find your NOC.

In the last 10 years, how many total years of foreign skilled work experience do you have?

It must have been paid, full-time (or an equal amount in part-time), and in only one occupation (NOC skill type 0, A or B).

Do you have a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province, territory or federal body?

Note: A certificate of qualification lets people work in some skilled trades in Canada. Only the provinces, territories and a federal body can issue these certificates. To get one, a person must have them assess their training, trade experience and skills to and then pass a certification exam.

People usually have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. They may also need experience and training from an employer in Canada.

This isn’t the same as a nomination from a province or territory.

Additional Points

Do you have a valid job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment ( if needed)?

A valid job offer must be

full-time
in a skilled job listed as Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B in the 2011 National Occupational Classification
supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or exempt from needing one
for one year from the time you become a permanent resident

A job offer isn’t valid if your employer is:

an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada or
on the list of ineligible employers.

Whether an offer is valid or not also depends on different factors, depending on your case. See a full list of criteria for valid job offers.

Which NOC skill type or level is the job offer?

You can use our online tool to find out if you don’t know.

Do you have a nomination certificate from a province or territory?

Do you or your spouse or common law partner (if they will come with you to Canada) have at least one brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident?

Note: to answer yes, the brother or sister must be:

18 years old or older
related to you or your partner by blood, marriage, common-law partnership or adoption
have a parent in common with you or your partner

A brother or sister is related to you by:

blood (biological)
adoption
marriage (step-brother or step-sister)

What is the highest level of education for which your spouse or common-law partner's has:

earned a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate; or
had an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)? (ECAs must be from an approved agency, in the last five years)

To get the correct number of points, make sure you choose the answer that best reflects your case. For example:

If you have TWO Bachelor’s degrees, or one Bachelor’s AND a two year college diploma, choose – “Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years.”

In the last ten years, how many years of skilled work experience in Canada does your spouse/common-law partner have?

It must have been paid, full-time (or an equal amount in part-time), and in one or more NOC 0, A or B jobs.

Did your spouse or common-law partner take a language test? If so, which one?

Test results must be less than two years old.

Enter the test scores for:

Speaking:

Listening:

Reading:

Writing:

Your results

All Express Entry candidates get a score out of 1,200, based on the four parts of the Comprehensive Ranking System formula.

We invite the highest-ranking candidates from the pool to apply as a permanent resident through regular “rounds of invitations.” See what minimum scores have been in the past.

What is a Comprehensive Ranking System?

Changes have been made to the CRS points calculator for evaluating scores of applicants under the Canadian Skilled Worker Points System. Accordingly, applicants must score a minimum of 67 points to qualify for immigration to Canada as Skilled Workers. You will be assessed on various factors that include skills, language proficiency, work experience, and others.

The Comprehensive Ranking System is a points-based scheme used by the Government of Canada for assessing, allotting scores, and ranking profiles of candidates in the Federal Express Entry Pool. The answers that you provide in your Express Entry profile will determine the calculation of your score in the CRS Calculator. This estimated CRS score will determine if you qualify for the status of a Permanent Resident in Canada through the Express Entry Program. Thus, this tool determines your eligibility for immigration to Canada.

How CRS Calculator Works?

To calculate the CRS score of the candidates, Express Entry makes use of the credentials submitted by the candidates while creation of their profiles in the pool. The selection factors include education, age, language proficiency, and others.

CRS calculator awards point to candidate's express entry profile based on the following factors:

Core Human Capital factors

Accompanying common-law partner or spouse factors

Factors transferability of Skill

Factors relating to a nomination from a province, a qualifying offer of prearranged employment, study experience in Canada, a relative in Canada, and/or ability in the French language

CRS Score Factors

A total of 1,200 points are available for Express Entry candidates under the Canadian immigration points calculator CRS.

The candidates who do not have an accompanying common-law partner or spouse have:

A maximum of 500 points can be scored for factors under Core Human Capital

A maximum of 100 points can be scored for factors under skill transferability

A maximum of 600 points can be scored either for provincial nomination; or

A maximum of 200 points can be scored for a qualified pre-arranged employment offer

A maximum of 30 points can be scored for study experience in Canada

A maximum of 50 points can be scored for ability in the French language along with the English language

A maximum of 15 points can be scored for a relative in Canada

The candidates who have an accompanying common-law partner or spouse have:

A maximum of 460 points can be secured in Core Human Capital factors for the primary applicant;

A maximum of 40 points can be secured in Core Human Capital factors for the common-law partner or spouse;

A maximum of 600 points can be scored either for provincial nomination; or

A maximum of 200 points can be scored for a qualified pre-arranged employment offer;

A maximum of 30 points can be scored for study experience in Canada;

A maximum of 50 points can be scored for ability in the French language along with the English language;

A maximum of 15 points that can be scored for a relative in Canada (one relative of the primary applicant and the accompanying common-law partner or spouse is considered);

How to improve your CRS Score?

Express Entry draws are held periodically, usually once every 2 weeks. So you always have the option for increasing your CRS points score before applying for a subsequent draw in Express Entry. There are several ways to increase your CRS score in case you do not fulfill the CRS cut-off requirement in the particular draw. You can thus improve your CRS score and attain the required points for getting an ITA - Invitation to Apply for the Canada PR Visa in the upcoming Express Entry draw.

Here are a few ways for improving your CRS score:

Improve your language score

You can improve your CRS score by securing good marks in language tests such as IELTS. For instance, if you secure CLB level 9 in the language test, you can add a maximum of 136 direct points to your CRS rank. Similarly, appearing in a French language test can incur a maximum of 72 points.

Provincial Nominee Program

If you receive an ITA for a Nomination from a province in Canada, you will get 600 extra points added to your profile in Express Entry.

Get an LMIA Approved work offer

If you get an LMIA Labor Market Impact Assessment recognized job offer from a Canadian employer, you can receive a maximum of 200 points added to your CRS score.

Obtain education in Canada

If you complete a recognized Diploma or Degree in Canada, you can receive a maximum of 30 points.

Including Common-Law Partner/ Spouse in the application

Including your Common-Law Partner/ Spouse in the application will fetch you extra points for 3 factors. The language proficiency of the Common-Law Partner/ Spouse will incur 20 points, while work experience and education in Canada will incur 10 points individually. Thus, you can add a maximum of 40 extra points to your Express Entry CRS score.

Work experience in Canada

You can add a maximum of 150 points to your CRS score if you have less than 3 years of full-time work experience and if you continue to be employed.

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

A. Core Human Capital Factors

Factors	Points for every Factor - With no Common-Law Partner or Spouse	Points for every Factor - With Common-Law Partner or Spouse
Age	110	100
Level of Education	150	140
Official languages proficiency	160	150
Canadian Work Experience	80	70

B. Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors

Factors	Points for every Factor (Maximum 40 points)
Education Level	10
Proficiency in Official Languages	20
Work Experience in Canada	10

A. Core Human Capital + B. Common-law partner or Spouse factors = Maximum 500 points (without OR with a common-law partner or spouse)

C. Skill Transferability Factors

Education	Points for every Factor (Maximum 50 points)
With excellent proficiency in the official language and post-secondary credentials	50
With work experience in Canada and post-secondary credentials	50
Overseas Work Experience	Points Per Factor (Maximum 50 points)
With excellent proficiency in official languages (CLB Canadian Language Benchmark level 7 or more) and post-secondary credentials	50
With overseas work experience and Canadian work experience	50

Qualification Certificate (for individuals in trade jobs)	Points Per Factor (Maximum 50 points)
With excellent proficiency in official languages and qualification certificate	50

A. Core Human Capital + B. Common-law partner or Spouse + C. Skill Transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional Points

Factors	Maximum points per factor
Sibling in Canada (permanent resident or citizen)	15
French Language proficiency	30
Canadian Post-secondary education	30
Prearranged employment	200
Provincial Nomination	600

A. Core Human Capital + B. Common-law partner or Spouse + C. Factors for Transferability + D. Extra Points = Total of Maximum 1,200 points

CRS Points Breakdown

A. Core/ Human capital factors

With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points

Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points

Age (In years)	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
17 or less	0	0
18	90	99
19	95	105
20 to 29	100	110
30	95	105
31	90	99
32	85	94
33	80	88
34	75	83
35	70	77
36	65	72
37	60	66
38	55	61
39	50	55
40	45	50
41	35	39
42	25	28
43	15	17
44	5	6
45 or more	0	0

Level of Education	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
Less than secondary school (high school)	0	0
A secondary diploma (high school graduation)	28	30
One-year degree, diploma, or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institutes	84	90
The two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institutes	91	98
Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institutes	112	120
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years	119	128
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.)	126	135
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.)	140	150

Official language proficiency - the first official language

Maximum points for each ability ( Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing):

32 with a spouse or common-law partner

34 without a spouse or common-law partner

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
Less than 4	0	0
4 or 5	6	6
6	8	9
7	16	17
8	22	23
9	29	31
10 or more	32	34

Official language proficiency - the second official language

Maximum points for each ability (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing)

6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)

6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
4 or less	0	0
5 or 6	1	1
7 or 8	3	3
9 or more	6	6

Canadian Work Experience (In-years)	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
0 or less than 1	0	0
1	35	40
2	46	53
3	56	64
4	63	72
5 or more	70	80

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital factors

With a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 460 points

Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 500 points

B. Spouse or Common-law partner factors

Spouses or common-law partners level of education	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
Less than secondary school (high school)	0	-
Secondary school (high school graduation)	2	-
One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institutes	6	-
The two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institutes	7	-
Bachelor's degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institutes	8	-
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years	9	-
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.)	10	-
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.)	10	-

Spouse's or common-law partner's official languages proficiency - the first official language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner	Without a spouse or common-law partner
4 or less	0	-
5 or 6	1	-
7 or 8	3	-
9 or more	5	-

Spouse's Canadian work experience (In-years)	Maximum 10 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply)
0 or less than a year	0	-
1	5	-
2	7	-
3	8	-
4	9	-
5 or more	10	-

Subtotal : A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points

C. Skill Transferability factors

With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree	Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9 (Maximum 25 points)	Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials were issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	25	50
A university-level credential at the master's level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required	25	50
A university-level credential at the doctoral level	25	50

With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points)	Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials were issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	25	50
A university-level credential at the master's level or at the level of an entry-to-practice professional degree for an occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification matrix at Skill Level A for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required	25	50
A university-level credential at the doctoral level	25	50

Foreign work experience With good official language proficiency (CLB 7 or higher)

Foreign Work Experience (In Years)	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 (Maximum 25 points)	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points)
0	0	0
1 or 2	13	25
3 or more	25	50

Foreign Work Experience + Canadian Work Experience

Foreign Work Experience (In Years)	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points)	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points)
0	0	0
1 or 2	13	25
3 or more	25	50

Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) With good official language proficiency (CLB 5 or higher)	Points for a certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7 (Maximum 25 points)	Points for a certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification	25	50

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors = Maximum 600 points

D. Additional Points

Additional Points	Maximum 600 points
Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada	15
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn't take an English test)	25
Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills	50
Post-secondary education in Canada - credential of one or two years	15
Post-secondary education in Canada - credential three years or longer	30
Arranged employment - NOC 00	200
Arranged employment any other NOC 0, A, or B	50
Provincial or territorial nomination	600

Subtotal: D. Additional points Maximum 600 points

Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points

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Frequently Asked Question

What if my CRS score is below 400 points?

Other than the Express entry program, there is a provincial nomination program (PNP) that can provide you another immigration pathway to Canada PR Visa with a low CRS score. Many PNPs programs require a low CRS score to be eligible like SINP - Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, etc. Also, the AIPP - Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program provides another immigration pathway to Canada PR Visa with a CRS score of fewer than 400 points.
How can I get a Canada PR Visa with a low CRS score?

The Provincial Nominee Program - PNP is a path that can get you to Canada even with a low CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score. Recently, Alberta invited migrants with a CRS as low as 300. Canadas PNP target is expected to increase to 67,800 in 2020 and 71,300 in 2021.
What is a good CRS score?

Looking at the recent all program Express Entry draws, the CRS score cut-off has been between 470 to 475 CRS points. For now, the good CRS score is to score around 470 points, this can ensure you get an ITA to apply for a Canada PR Visa.
Why is the CRS score increasing?

With the CRS score, express entry ranks the profiles in the express entry pool. Higher ranked profiles are for immigrants with high-demanding skills and higher work experience. To target only those immigrants with high skill-sets, IRCC mainly invites those to express entry profiles with a higher CRS score, thus increasing the CRS score cut-off. But these profiles are in limited numbers, and to meet the admission targets for new immigrants, the CRS score for Canada PR Visa is bound to decrease.
Does the NOC code affect the CRS score?
NOC codes affect your CRS scores in two ways:
- To get the CRS points for work experience, you need to have required work experience in NOC skill level 0, A or B.
- Second, you can also get extra CRS points depending on the NOC level of your job offered in your job offer letter. For example, for a NOC 00 level job you get extra 200 CRS points.