Maple News reports that including a spouse or common-law partner in your Canadian immigration application can have varying effects on your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score under Express Entry. While the presence of a partner can slightly reduce scores in certain subcategories, it also opens opportunities for gaining additional points in other areas, making the overall impact potentially beneficial depending on your unique profile.
Canada’s Express Entry system evaluates candidates based on a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Two key scoring categories—Category A (Core Human Capital) and Category B (Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors)—are directly influenced by whether or not you include a partner in your application.
If your spouse or common-law partner is accompanying you to Canada, the maximum CRS score available under Category A is 460 points. If you are applying alone or your partner is not accompanying you (a “non-accompanying” spouse), the maximum score for Category A increases to 500 points. This 40-point difference reflects the recalibration of your profile when it’s assessed as a single applicant.
Age plays a particularly important role in CRS scoring, with the highest points generally granted to applicants between 20 and 29 years old. Here, applicants with an accompanying spouse usually receive slightly fewer points compared to those applying alone, due to the CRS distributing points across both partners instead of just one.
Despite this slight reduction in Core Human Capital points, applicants with an accompanying spouse can earn points in Category B, which considers their partner’s level of education, language proficiency in English or French, and Canadian work experience. These additional points can help boost an overall CRS score.
It’s important to note that your spouse or common-law partner must be declared in your application, even if they are not moving to Canada with you at the time. While they won’t affect your CRS score if they are non-accompanying, they must still undergo medical and criminal background checks and meet other eligibility requirements.
Immigration hopefuls are advised to assess their profiles both with and without their partner to determine the most competitive scoring scenario. The inclusion of a qualified partner can often compensate for the loss of individual points with gains from spousal credentials.
As Canada continues to prioritize family unity within its immigration system, understanding how your relationship status influences your CRS score remains a strategic element of an Express Entry application.