Canada Express Entry 2026: How to Calculate Your CRS Score for PR

If you are one of those students who got into a Canadian institution but could not study in Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had some good news for you: if you completed all or part of your Canadian degree programme via distance education between March 2020 and August 2022, that programme could still count toward your Canadian education credential points under Express Entry, even though you didn’t study in person.

Canada Express Entry

It is an electronic system that helps manage the Canadian permanent residence application submitted by skilled workers. A candidate’s submitted online profile goes through an evaluation process by the federal government for Express Entry managed programmes.

Not all candidates get accepted into the Canada Express Entry pool. The eligible candidates are ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

The CRS score depends on age, work experience, education, language skills, etc. IRCC invites candidates based on the type and criteria of each Express Entry round. The candidates then receive a Canadian permanent residence invitation.

The COVID-era exception allowed certain distance-learning Canadian credentials to still be counted for CRS education points, even though the studies weren’t completed in person. Here’s a list of methods of study that qualified under this now-closed 2020–2022 policy,

• Distance learning through online mode
• Distance learning from outside Canada
• Distance learning through part-time studies

How Does Canada Express Entry Work?

There are two major stages in Express Entry. In the first stage, the eligible candidates express interest in obtaining permanent residence in Canada. In the second stage, the Canadian government evaluates the applicants and invites the eligible candidates to immigrate.

Here’s how you can submit your profile for Canada Express Entry,

• Check if you are eligible for Canada Express Entry. You will have to visit the assessment page, enter information relevant to the process, and see if you’re eligible.
• Take your language tests and get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). You can take language tests for English and/or French. The test scores have a validity of two years. The tests are: CELPIP General Test (English), IELTS General Training (English), TEF Canada (French), TCF Canada (French).
• Visit the IRCC website and submit your profile expressing interest in permanent residence in Canada.
• Wait till the IRCC sends you an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada.
• Once you’ve received your ITA, submit your Application for Permanent Residence (APR). You will have to take a medical exam and obtain police certificates as part of this process. Once you apply, the IRCC will provide you with an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR).
• Once the IRCC processes your APR, they will invite you to submit your biometrics.
• You will have to wait up to six months for the IRCC’s final decision regarding your APR. Once approved, you will receive a permanent resident visa and a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). These documents will allow you to travel to Canada and complete the process.

You can always re-submit the same if you are eligible and do not get your ITA within one year of submitting your Express Entry profile.

Pros And Cons of The Canada Express Entry System

Since 2015, Canada’s Express Entry system has improved how skilled worker applications for permanent residence are processed. Besides time, it has also improved the experience for applicants.

With the previous first-come, first-served method, the number of applicants was far higher than the number of spots available for skilled worker immigration each year. This hindered permanent residence visa approvals, and applicants had to wait several years for the IRCC to process their applications.

With the Canada Express Entry system, the IRCC can generally process a request for permanent residence in Canada in under 6 months, compared to almost 6 years under the previous method.

The Comprehensive Ranking System is a research-backed system developed by the Canadian government to pick applicants with characteristics that will enable them to succeed in Canada.

With Express Entry, a permanent residence visa is not assured, since there is no certainty that your profile will be approved and you will receive an ITA. Applicants with the highest CRS scores have a higher probability of obtaining permanent residence in Canada.

You will get multiple opportunities to receive a permanent residence visa, since Express Entry draws happen regularly throughout the year. IRCC decides how often based on the type and criteria of each round, rather than on a fixed schedule.

If you’re denied permanent residence in Canada once, you can still work on strengthening your profile, for example by gaining more professional work experience or improving your language test scores. This allows you to try again at least once every year. Note: as of March 25, 2025, IRCC removed the CRS points a qualifying job offer used to add, so a job offer on its own no longer boosts your CRS score directly, even though it can still matter for other eligibility criteria. (Source: IRCC)

CRS Scores

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a point-based system that assigns points (CRS scores) to applicants after considering various factors. The CRS score depends on the following components,

• Human capital factors
• Accompanying spouse
• Skill transferability
• Provincial nomination
• Canadian study experience
• French language ability
• A sibling living in Canada

The highest possible CRS score is 1200. The scores for applicants without an accompanying common-law partner or spouse are listed below.

Source: IRCC, Express Entry CRS criteria, canada.ca (verified 2026)

• Up to 500 points for core/human capital factors
• Up to 100 points for skill transferability
• Up to 600 additional points, depending on factors such as provincial nomination, Canadian education, French-language proficiency, and having a sibling in Canada:
  • 600 points for a provincial or territorial nomination
  • 15 or 30 points for eligible Canadian post-secondary education
  • 25 or 50 points for French-language proficiency, depending on English-language proficiency
  • 15 points for having a sibling in Canada
• No CRS points are awarded for a job offer as of March 25, 2025.

The CRS scores differ if you have an accompanying common-law partner or spouse. The score components are listed below.

• Up to 460 points instead of 500 for human capital factors
• Up to 40 points for the human capital factors of the spouse or partner
• Up to 600 additional points, depending on applicable factors such as provincial nomination, eligible Canadian education, French-language proficiency and a sibling in Canada
• No CRS points are awarded for a job offer as of March 25, 2025
• Canadian post-secondary education can provide 15 or 30 points, depending on the credential
• French-language proficiency can provide 25 or 50 points, depending on English-language proficiency
• A sibling living in Canada can provide up to 15 additional points

You can always use the Comprehensive Ranking System tool to calculate your CRS score as a skilled immigrant under Canada Express Entry. All you have to do is fill in a form, and the tool will provide your exact CRS score based on skills, education, language skills, work experience, etc.

Eligibility To Apply for Canada Express Entry as A Skilled Worker

The programme allows skilled workers with work experience in foreign nations to permanently immigrate to Canada. You will have to meet all minimum requirements to be eligible, for skilled work experience, language ability, and education.

The eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Programme is different from the CRS score. While the CRS is a 1200-point score, the Federal Skilled Worker selection factors are scored out of 100, with a pass mark of 67. The marks depend on 6 factors, namely,

• Age
• Work experience
• Arranged employment
• Education
• French and/or English language skills
• Adaptability

The Minimum Requirements

Work Experience

As a skilled worker, you must possess work experience in the following jobs under the National Occupational Classification (NOC). (NOC 2021 replaced the old Skill Type 0 / Skill Level A / B system with TEER, meaning Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities; eligible occupations for these purposes fall under TEER 0 to 3.)

• Managerial (TEER 0)
• Professional (TEER 1)
• Technical and skilled (TEER 2 or TEER 3)

You will also have to ensure that you perform the duties explained in the occupational description in the NOC. In addition, the experience must be,

• In the same kind of job as the job you are using for your immigration
• Within the last decade
• Paid, and not volunteer or unpaid internship work
• At least continuous work for 1 year or 1,560 hours, accumulated in a single full-time job or multiple part-time jobs over a year

Language Skills

You will have to take the approved language tests in French or English. The test should cover all of the following components.

• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading

A minimum Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) score of 7 is the minimum eligibility across all 4 skills. The language test scores are valid for 2 years, and you must apply for permanent residence within that timeframe. If 2 years elapse before you apply, you will have to take the test again.

Education

You can either use the certificate, diploma, or degree obtained from a Canadian school, such as a secondary or post-secondary institution. If you have received foreign education, you must produce the following when called upon.

• Proof of completion
• An Education Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organisation, showing that your education qualification equals a certificate of completion, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution

Proof Of Funds

You will have to produce proof of funds showing that you have enough money to settle in Canada for you and your family. The amount of money is calculated based on the size of your family, which must include,

• Yourself
• Your spouse/partner
• Dependent children
• Your spouse/partner’s dependent children

IRCC updates the minimum settlement funds table every year, based on 50% of Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). As of the 2026 table, the minimum liquid, unencumbered funds you need to show are:

Always confirm the exact current figure for your family size on IRCC’s official proof of funds page before applying, since IRCC revises these amounts annually.

The funds must be liquid. You cannot use the equity on a property as proof of funds, and you cannot borrow money either. If you have money in a joint account with your partner/spouse, it will be counted only against their name, but you will have to produce proof that you have access to that money.

You generally don’t need to show proof of funds if you’re currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer, or if you’re invited under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Are you a student who wishes to study in Canada and immigrate to the country? Are you unsure about the university you’ve picked? Services like GradRight’s university selection tool can help you pick the most suitable Canadian university based on your preferences.

All you have to do is open the portal, answer a few questions about yourself, and start getting recommendations. You can also connect with alumni and obtain guidance from experts. Studying abroad has never been easier.

Planning to study in Canada and eventually apply for PR? Use GradRight’s university selection tool to shortlist the right Canadian programme, and compare education loan options on GradRight to plan your finances before you apply.

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