Express Entry: How points are calculated in the system
You can immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system, where potential immigrants receive points based on different criteria. How are the points calculated and what do I do if I fall short?
Express Entry is a system for receiving and processing applications for immigration to Canada. Applicants are evaluated according to many criteria (age, education, work experience, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.), for each of which a certain number of points is given. The maximum possible number of points is 1200.
We described in general terms how the Express Entry system works in this article.
Other articles on Immigration to Canada through Express Entry.
Several times a month there is an automatic selection of applications that have reached the required number of points (passing score). Each time it is different, but on average it is 435-460. If you have less points, you do not pass and wait for the next drawing.
You can see the history of passing scores in Express Entry selections in our summary table. For example, in the last selection held on August 20, 2019, the passing score was 457.
Requirements for Express Entry
Before creating a profile in Express Entry, you must pass the language test (IELTS, TEF, TCF) and achieve the required score required for the chosen immigration program. We talked about the IELTS test in special article.
You also need to get your educational credentials certified so that they meet Canadian criteria. This can be done at several organizations, for example, the WES. We will skip this section for the basic course.
You also need to know the NOC of your profession and skill level.
This weekend Canada switches to winter time
A new era for Canadian athletes
Canada celebrates its National Day and reflec...
Rising inflation in May threatens rate cuts i...
Canada Prepares for a Sharp Increase in the E...
High Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants Spar...
Canadian intelligence raises alarm: China's i...
Canada continues to attract skilled professio...
How the food supply chain in Canada works and...
The mysterious disappearance of a taxidermy g...
The remains of a mysterious ship have been fo...
Saskatchewan raises age limit for tobacco pur...
For step-by-step instructions on how to participate in Express Entry, see the following module on preparing documents to immigrate to Canada.
What are the points for
As mentioned earlier, if you are immigrating with a partner, you need to decide which one of you will be the main applicant (the "steamer") and which one will be the dependent (the "carriage"). You should pre-calculate in which case you will be able to score more points if your spouse is the "wagoner". Whoever earns the most points should be the primary applicant. Please note: If you live in a common-law marriage, it must last for at least 1 year.
The Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRC, is used for scoring.
If you are immigrating as a family, the principal applicant $$$$$ can receive a maximum of 100 points for age, 140 points for education, 150 points for foreign languages and 70 points for Canadian work experience. If only one person applies, you can get 10 more points for each item listed:
It turns out that if you move alone, you can get 40 points more! But in the case of the family points are given to the dependent member: for education can get a maximum of 10 points, for the knowledge of languages — 20, for the Canadian experience — 10. So the odds are evened out.
Based on the information above, the ideal candidate (or family) can score 500 points, which is usually enough to pass immigration. But in reality it turns out to be worse, because not everyone has worked in Canada, not to mention the level of language, which is rarely high.
Let's take a closer look at the above criteria.
Age
|
Age |
Number of points for the main applicant if travelling with family |
Number of points for single candidate |
|
18 |
90 |
99 |
|
19 |
95 |
105 |
|
20-29 |
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 older |
0 |
0 |
No points are given for the age of the "wagon".
As you can see, it is very important that the main applicant is young. If you postpone immigration to the next year and then again to the next year, it greatly reduces your chances of immigration. Please do not delay applying for immigration!
Level of education
|
Education |
For the principal applicant, if travelling with family |
For a dependent applicant, if travelling with family |
Single candidate |
|
Less than average |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Average |
28 |
2 |
30 |
|
1-year diploma or certificate from a university, college or other type of institution |
84 |
6 |
90 |
|
A 2-year degree or certificate from a university, college, or other type of institution |
91 |
7 |
98 |
|
Bachelor's degree or study for 3 years or more at a university, college or the like. |
112 |
8 |
120 |
|
2 or more diplomas, certificates or degrees, one of which must be a 3-year degree |
119 |
9 |
128 |
|
Master's degree or equivalent |
126 |
10 |
135 |
|
Doctoral studies at the university |
140 |
10 |
150 |
If you have a specialist diploma, it may count as a master's degree. The institution to which you entrust the certification of your diplomas will tell you more precisely.
Knowledge of the first official language (English or French)
Please note that points are given for each of the 4 modules (reading, speaking, listening comprehension, writing):
|
CLB level |
For the principal applicant, if travelling with family |
For a dependent applicant, if travelling with family |
Without a partner. |
|
Less CLB 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLB 4 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
CLB 5 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
|
CLB 6 |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|
CLB 7 |
16 |
3 |
17 |
|
CLB 8 |
22 |
3 |
23 |
|
CLB 9 |
29 |
5 |
31 |
|
CLB 10 or higher |
32 |
5 |
34 |
A single candidate can get a maximum of 136 points, while the main candidate who goes with the family can get 128 points. A dependent family member, on the other hand, may receive a maximum of 20 points.
Knowledge of a second official language
Points are also given for knowing the second official language:
|
CLB level |
For the principal applicant, if travelling with family |
Without a partner. |
|
Less than CLB 4 or less |
0 |
0 |
|
CLB 5 or 6 |
1 |
1 |
|
CLB 7 or 8 |
3 |
3 |
|
CLB 9 or higher |
6 |
6 |
Note that the main candidate who travels with a family may not get a maximum of 24 points if you sum them up, but only 22. A single candidate, on the other hand, may get 24.
Additional points for strong bundles of assessed parameters
In order not to bore you with additional tables, I will briefly say that if you know a foreign language very well and have a good education, or have work experience in Canada, you will be awarded extra points. If you meet these conditions, you can translate decodes from the official website yourself.
600 additional points
You can score extra points if you qualify for something from the table:
|
Have a brother or sister who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident |
15 |
|
You have a high level of French but no (or poor) results in English |
15 |
|
You have a high level of French and an intermediate level of English. |
30 |
|
You have completed post-graduate education in Canada (1 or 2 years) |
15 |
|
You have completed post-graduate education in Canada (3 or more years) |
30 |
|
You have a working contract in Canada for a senior managerial position (NOC 00) |
200 |
|
You have another work contract in Canada with a skill level of 0, A or B |
50 |
|
You have a nomination from a Canadian province or territory |
600 |
This is a very important chart on which most provincial programs are based, as points are usually not enough if you try to immigrate through the main federal program. If you are educated in Canada or have a job here, you will not only earn extra points on Express Entry, but you can also qualify for provincial programs. A provincial nomination (invitation) gives you an additional 600 points! While in some cases, you do not need to have a work contract in Canada or study there.
How to count your points
You can, of course, use the tables from the CRC page, but we recommend the easier way — go through the official Express Entry calculator. It's in English, but the questions are simple enough and asked one after another, so it's hard to go wrong:
At the end of the test, the screen will immediately show the number of points you have scored. We recommend that you fill it out on behalf of your spouse if you plan to immigrate as a family.
If you do not have a language test, answer the question about having one and indicate the level you expect to achieve when you take the exam. There's nowhere to go without it anyway. You can also enter the average of our Online English test.
In the following articles, we will explain how to apply for immigration using Express Entry.
