If you are one of those millions seeking entry into Canada as a permanent resident, you are likely to have come across the term ‘CRS Points Calculator.

Reading about it from various sources may have left you confused with respect to the role it plays in your Canada PR visa application.

Let us try to help you decode the mystery surrounding Canada CRS points calculator by answering some simple questions.

What Is The CRS Points Calculator?

CRS points calculator is an online tool designed to help Canada PR visa candidates calculate the points they are likely to earn for various eligibility factors considered for granting Canada PR or permanent resident visa to foreign nationals.

It is an online questionnaire that has several questions and all you have to do is select the relevant answer from the multiple options available in the drop-down menu under every question.

What Does CRS Mean?

CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System which is used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to evaluate the eligibility of all candidates for Canada permanent residence (PR) visa. It is a points-based system that awards points to Canada PR visa candidates considering many factors which are broadly categorised as follows:

• Core/human capital factors
• Spouse or common-law partner factor
• Skill transferability factor
• Additional factors

The system has a maximum of 1200 points, known as CRS points. The total of CRS points a candidate is awarded for various factors is called their CRS score.

Under ‘core/human capital factors’ which is the most important category, the following things are considered:

• Age
• Level of education
• Official language proficiency (English and French)
• Work experience

You can earn the maximum of 500 CRS for ‘core/human capital’ and ‘spouse or common-law partner’ factors.

For the ‘Skill transferability factor’, you can earn a maximum of 100 CRS points and a maximum of 600 CRS points for ‘Additional factors’ e.g. 600 CRS points for a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination for Canada PR.

Important: You must have your language test results (e.g. IELTS) and your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to get a true picture of your eligibility for Canada PR through the use of CRS calculator.

How Can I Score The Maximum CRS Points?

Age – If your age falls between 20-29 years, you can score maximum points for the age factor.

Education – For the education factor, you will get maximum points if you have a PhD or doctorate-level degree.

Language Proficiency – English and French are the two official languages of Canada and you can get maximum points for language proficiency by achieving the highest grades in your language test which is converted into Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels. CLB level 10 or above will make you eligible for the maximum CRS points for the language factor.

For English, the accepted tests are:

• IELTS
• CELPIP

While for the French language, the tests accepted are:

• TCF
• TEF

Work Experience – You must have a minimum of one year of skilled work experience to be eligible for Express Entry. You can get maximum points for work experience if you have 3 or more years of eligible work experience.

Adaptability – Adaptability encompasses several factors such as previous or existing connection to Canada in the form of education, Canadian work experience or a close relative living in the country. This serves as an indicator of how likely you are of being economically successful in Canada.

There Are Many ‘CRS Calculators’ Available Online, Which One Should I Use?

CRS calculator that you can find on various websites are all the same which have been modelled after the CRS calculator designed by IRCC. You will find them to have the same questions and answer options.

Does The CRS Calculator Decide Whether I Will Be Able To Secure A Canada PR Visa?

No, the CRS calculator is meant to give you an idea of how many CRS points you are likely to score but it is only indicative. The final decision on whether or not you will be granted the Canada PR visa is taken by IRCC – the authority that manages the Canada immigration process.

The information the CRS calculator provides, depends upon the answers you give to the questions. Therefore, you must answer all the questions honestly to get a true picture of your eligibility for the Canada PR visa.

What Is The Minimum Required CRS Score?

There isn’t a fixed minimum required CRS score. It keeps changing as per IRCC’s requirements. IRCC invites candidates as per the CRS cut-off score which is decided at the time of every Express Entry draw. At occasions, CRS cut-off score can go higher than the previous draw and sometimes lower.

What If My CRS Score Isn’t High Enough For Receiving An ITA For Canada PR?

In such a case, you can try to increase your CRS score by trying any of the following things:

• Secure a nomination for the Canada PR visa under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Secure a job offer from a Canadian employer
• Retake your language test with better preparation
• Complete a certificate, diploma or degree course
• Add to your work experience

Notably, a PNP nomination will help you earn 600 CRS points which will effectively guarantee you an ITA for the Canada PR visa.

You can try to increase your CRS score while you are still in the Express Entry pool and stand a chance of being invited to apply for the Canada PR visa in a subsequent draw.

Your Express Entry profile is valid for 12 months. If you do not receive an ITA within 12 months, your Express Entry profile will expire and you will need to create a new one.

Choose IMB Immigration Law

If you have any doubts or would like to start your Canada PR visa application, contact IMB Immigration Law today at info@imbimmigrationlaw.com. The firm is headed by Ravneet Kaur Brar – one of the best immigration lawyers in India. She has years of valuable industry experience in helping people immigrate to the US, UK and Canada through a variety of programs. Take advantage of her knowledge to fulfil your dream of immigrating to Canada or the USA. Visit www.imbimmigrationlaw.com today!