How a spouse or partner affects Express Entry and choosing the principal applicant

Maximum - 10 CRS points

The current CRS table provides:

• secondary school - 2;
• one-year program - 6;
• two-year program - 7;
• Bachelor's degree / 3+ year program - 8;
• two or more educational documents, one of which is 3+ years – 9;
• master's/certain professional degree - 10;
• doctoral degree - 10.

This does not mean that a spouse is required to make an ECA to participate in your application.

But if you want to claim CRS points for your spouse's foreign education, that education must be supported by a qualifying ECA.

Maximum - 20 CRS points

For each of the four skills:

• Canadian English CLB or French NCLC level 4 or lower - 0;
• 5–6 — 1 point;
• 7–8 — 3 points;
• 9 or higher - 5 points.

Maximum:

5 × 4 = 20 points.

A valid IRCC approved language test score is required to claim these points.

It is not necessary to take the language test just because the spouse is accompanying the main applicant.

A test makes sense when its result actually adds points or is needed for another program rule.

Maximum - 10 CRS points

Current scale:

• less than 1 year - 0;
• 1 year - 5;
• 2 years - 7;
• 3 years - 8;
• 4 years - 9;
• 5 years or more - 10.

It is important to separately check whether the experience claimed meets the CRS definition of Canadian work experience.

It happens, and in itself it is not a mistake

For example, the accompanying spouse may not have:

• ECA for foreign education;
• language test;
• Canadian work experience.

Then the spouse or partner factors may be zero.

However, the main applicant is still assessed on the scale with an accompanying spouse or partner, where the maximum points for personal factors are lower than on the scale without an accompanying spouse or partner.

This is why a couple's CRS is sometimes lower than the same person's score in the "unaccompanied spouse or partner" scenario.

But this doesn't mean that you just have to indicate that the spouse or partner is not accompanying the applicant for the sake of a higher CRS result.

The answer in the profile must correspond to the actual family and immigration situation.

For CRS, the main applicant is assessed on the “without accompanying spouse or partner” scale.

IRCC states that you receive points as a candidate without a spouse if your spouse or common-law partner:

• does not accompany you to Canada or
• Already holds Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.

In this case, the factors of a spouse or partner's education, language and work experience in Canada do not apply.

But a spouse or partner who does not accompany the applicant cannot simply be “removed” from the application.

Not coming with you does not mean “does not exist for application”

When applying for permanent residence, you must include all family members, even if they are not coming to Canada with you.

This includes a spouse or common-law partner.

IRCC also requires family members to undergo required background checks.

In particular, the spouse or partner is usually required to undergo an immigration medical examination, even if not accompanying the main applicant.

Do not mark a spouse as not accompanying the applicant just as a way to increase the CRS.

This should reflect the real situation of the family.

Spouse's age is not separately assessed in the spouse or partner factors.

The CRS includes age as a main applicant factor.

The accompanying spouse or partner does not have a separate factor for age.

Therefore, in a couple where the age difference is significant, the choice of the main applicant sometimes significantly changes the overall CRS.

This is one of the reasons why the family profile needs to be counted both ways.

A strong language is often more important than a spouse's extra degree

The main applicant may receive significantly more CRS points for official language than the accompanying spouse or partner.

Points for the language of a spouse or partner are limited to a maximum of 20 points.

Therefore, if one spouse:

• noticeably younger;
• has CLB/NCLC 9+;
• has suitable work experience in Canada,

such an applicant may be a stronger primary applicant even with a lower level of education.

This needs to be calculated, not guessed.

ECA is needed specifically for points for foreign education

If the accompanying spouse or partner was educated outside of Canada and you want to receive CRS credits for their education, an ECA is usually required for immigration purposes.

If there is no ECA:

• the spouse still needs to be indicated in the profile and application;
• you just shouldn't automatically claim CRS points for unverified foreign education.

Therefore, before ordering an ECA, it is useful to first look at:

exactly how many points will it add to your family CRS and can it really influence the strategy.

FSW has a separate block of points for adaptation

FSW allows you to earn up to 10 points for adaptation.

The result may be influenced, in particular:

• language of the accompanying spouse or partner;
• past education of the spouse or partner in Canada;
• past work experience of the spouse or partner in Canada;
• relatives in Canada on the applicant's side, spouse or partner;
• other adaptation factors provided for by the program.

This is a different scoring system, not the spouse or partner CRS factors.

Do not combine CRS points and FSW adaptability points into one total.

The category for French-speaking candidates is verified against the data of the main applicant

If the accompanying spouse or partner speaks good French, this can:

• give CRS points for spouse's or partner's language;
• add FSW points for adaptation if conditions are met;
• make the spouse or partner an interesting candidate for the role of the main applicant.

But the main applicant cannot be classified into the French-speaking category solely on the basis of the spouse's French language scores.

For the category, you need to check the results and profile of the main applicant itself.

CRS rates the main applicant as "without accompanying spouse or partner"

IRCC states that if your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, the principal applicant receives core/human capital points using the scale for applicants without an accompanying spouse or partner.

The spouse or partner factors do not apply in this case.

This is a separate situation and should not be confused with a spouse or partner outside Canada who is not accompanying the applicant.

Your profile needs to be kept up to date

Marriage, the start or end of a common-law partnership, divorce, a change in accompanying status or other family changes may affect:

• CRS;
• family composition;
• document requirements;
• confirmation of funds;
• application after receiving an invitation (ITA).

If the family situation has changed, the profile or application must be updated in accordance with current IRCC guidelines.

After an ITA, it is especially important to check whether the CRS has changed relative to the round in which you received an invitation.

A separate calculation is especially useful if:

• both spouses potentially qualify for Express Entry;
• one is younger and the other has more education;
• spouses have different results in English and French;
• one has work experience in Canada;
• one spouse or partner has French NCLC 7+;
• FSW is needed and the result according to the FSW selection system is close to the threshold of 67 points;
• your spouse or partner has not yet taken a language test;
• ECA of spouse or partner has not yet been done;
• the scenario with and without accompaniment is discussed;
• marital status has changed since the profile or ITA was created.

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