Express Entry · Federal Skilled Worker Program
FSW 67 points calculator
The Federal Skilled Worker Program scores you out of 100 across six selection factors. You need 67 to be eligible. Answer the factors below to see your score and where each point comes from.
Language
20 / 28Each ability is scored on its own, from an approved test — IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada. CLB 7 in all four is a minimum requirement, not just a low score.
Education
21 / 25Work experience
11 / 15Paid, full-time (or equivalent part-time) work in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, within the last 10 years. Volunteer and unpaid work does not count.
Age
12 / 12Assessed on the date IRCC receives your application, not the date you create your profile.
Arranged employment
0 / 10A qualifying offer of continuous, paid, full-time work for at least one year in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation — backed by an LMIA or a recognised LMIA exemption.
▸Does my job offer qualify?
Only if it rests on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or on a recognised LMIA exemption. An ordinary offer letter earns nothing here, however genuine — the employer has to have gone through one of these four routes.
- 1You already work in Canada on an LMIA-backed work permitThe permit must be valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued, and the offer must come from the employer named on it.
- 2You already work in Canada on an LMIA-exempt work permitThe exemption must come from an international agreement, a federal-provincial agreement, or a significant-benefit-to-Canada designation — and you need at least one year of continuous full-time work for that employer, who then makes the offer.
- 3You are not currently authorised to work in CanadaThe prospective employer must hold a positive LMIA for the offer.
- 4You hold a valid permit but the offer is from a different employerThat prospective employer must hold a positive LMIA of their own.
All four award the same 10 points. In every case the offer must be for continuous, paid, full-time work of at least one year in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, and must still be valid both when you apply and when the visa is issued.
Adaptability
0 / 10Every item that applies is added together, then capped at 10 — two five-point items already reach the maximum.
Also required, but not scored
- Education completed outside Canada needs an Educational Credential Assessment from an IRCC-designated organisation before it can be counted.
- You must show proof of settlement funds unless you are already working in Canada with a valid job offer. The amount depends on family size.
Two Express Entry scores, often confused
Passing the 67 points is what gets you into the pool. It is not what gets you invited — that is a different score entirely, and this is the single most common misunderstanding about Express Entry.
- FSW selection grid — out of 100
- What this page calculates. A pass/fail gate at 67 points that decides whether you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program at all. Scoring 95 instead of 70 earns you nothing extra here.
- Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) — out of 1200
- A separate score that ranks you against everyone else in the pool once you are in it. Each draw publishes a cut-off, and only candidates at or above it receive an Invitation to Apply. Different factors, different weights.
The minimum requirements are a third thing again. They sit outside the points: fall short on language, experience or education and you are ineligible no matter what the grid totals.
The official selection grid
Every value the calculator uses, as published by IRCC.
| Factor 1 · Language · max 28 | |
|---|---|
| First official language, scored per ability (max 24) | |
| CLB 9 or higher | 6 per ability |
| CLB 8 | 5 per ability |
| CLB 7 | 4 per ability |
| CLB 6 or lower | Ineligible |
| Second official language, CLB 5 or higher in all four abilities | 4 |
| Factor 2 · Education · max 25 | |
| Doctoral (PhD) degree | 25 |
| Master's degree, or professional degree needed to practise in a licensed profession | 23 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of them three years or longer | 22 |
| Post-secondary credential of three years or longer | 21 |
| Two-year post-secondary credential | 19 |
| One-year post-secondary credential | 15 |
| Secondary school (high school) diploma | 5 |
| No secondary school diploma | Ineligible |
| Factor 3 · Work experience · max 15 | |
| Less than 1 year | Ineligible |
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2 to 3 years | 11 |
| 4 to 5 years | 13 |
| 6 years or more | 15 |
| Factor 4 · Age · max 12 | |
| 18 to 35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 or older | 0 |
| Factor 5 · Arranged employment · max 10 | |
| You already work in Canada on an LMIA-backed work permit | 10 |
| You already work in Canada on an LMIA-exempt work permit | 10 |
| You are not currently authorised to work in Canada | 10 |
| You hold a valid permit but the offer is from a different employer | 10 |
| Each route requires an LMIA or a recognised LMIA exemption. An offer letter on its own does not qualify. | |
| Factor 6 · Adaptability · max 10 | |
| You worked in Canada for at least one year (TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, valid work permit) | 10 |
| You studied in Canada for at least two years (secondary or post-secondary, full-time) | 5 |
| You or your spouse have a relative aged 18+ living in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident | 5 |
| You have arranged employment in Canada | 5 |
| Your spouse has CLB 4 or higher in all four abilities | 5 |
| Your spouse worked in Canada for at least one year (full-time, valid permit) | 5 |
| Your spouse studied in Canada for at least two years (full-time) | 5 |
| Items are added together, then capped at 10 | max 10 |
| Maximum overall | 100 |
| Pass mark | 67 |
Minimum requirements
Separate from the points. Miss any of these and the score is irrelevant.
- Skilled work experience
- At least one year of continuous full-time paid work — or the part-time equivalent, 1,560 hours total — in a single NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, within the last ten years. Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
- Language
- CLB 7 or higher in all four abilities of your first official language. Test results are valid for two years.
- Education
- A Canadian secondary or post-secondary credential, or a foreign credential with an Educational Credential Assessment from an IRCC-designated organisation. An ECA is valid for five years.
- Proof of funds
- Required unless you are already authorised to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. The amount depends on family size and is revised annually — check the current figure on the IRCC site rather than relying on a number quoted elsewhere.