CRS points for your spouse or partner
How an accompanying spouse or common-law partner changes your CRS score: up to 40 points for their education, language and Canadian work, and lower core points for you.
Spouse’s education
| Level | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than secondary (high) school | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 2 |
| One-year post-secondary program | 6 |
| Two-year post-secondary program | 7 |
| Bachelor’s degree, or a program of 3 years or more | 8 |
| Two or more credentials, one of them 3 years or more | 9 |
| Master’s, or professional degree for a licensed profession | 10 |
| Doctoral degree (PhD) | 10 |
Spouse’s first official language (per ability)
| CLB level | Points per ability |
|---|---|
| 4 or below | 0 |
| 5 or 6 | 1 |
| 7 or 8 | 3 |
| 9 or more | 5 |
Spouse’s Canadian work experience
| Years | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 0 |
| 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 7 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 or more | 10 |
Common questions
- Is it better to apply as single or with a spouse?
- If your spouse is not coming to Canada or is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you are scored as single. Otherwise the scoring follows your real situation; compare both scores in the calculator.
- Can my spouse be the principal applicant instead?
- Yes. Couples often check both ways and the partner with the higher score creates the main profile.
See your full CRS score
Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.