Express Entry With a Spouse: Who Should Be the Principal Applicant?
If you’re married or in a common-law relationship, your partner affects your CRS score. Sometimes it goes up, sometimes down. Couples get to choose who applies as the principal applicant, and picking the right person can be worth 50 points or more.
How a spouse changes your score
When your spouse is coming with you, IRCC uses a different points table. Your own core points drop a little (the maximum becomes 460 instead of 500), and your spouse can add up to 40 points for their education, language and Canadian work. A strong spouse more than makes up for it. A spouse with no language test or education usually doesn’t.
| Spouse factor | Maximum points |
|---|---|
| Education | 10 |
| First official language (5 per skill) | 20 |
| Canadian work experience | 10 |
Spouses only start earning language points at CLB 5. If your spouse hasn’t taken a test, they get zero, which means a single test could be worth up to 20 points.
An example: who should apply?
Partner A is 35, has a master’s degree, CLB 8 and 3 years of work abroad. Partner B is 29, has a bachelor’s, CLB 9 and 3 years of work abroad. Here’s how they score under the current rules:
| Scenario | CRS score |
|---|---|
| A applies, B comes along | 362 |
| B applies, A comes along | 425 |
| A applies as if single (B not coming) | 354 |
B scores 63 points more as the principal applicant, mostly because B is younger and has stronger English. Age and language usually decide it. Run both versions in our CRS calculator before you create a profile.
When your spouse isn’t coming
You’re scored as single if your spouse isn’t coming with you, or if they’re already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. It can be tempting to list a spouse as non-accompanying just to get the higher score, but think twice. If they want to join you later, sponsoring them is a separate application that takes longer. A non-accompanying spouse still has to be declared and usually still needs a medical exam.
Common-law partners
A common-law partner is someone you’ve lived with in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 months in a row. IRCC treats them exactly like a spouse. If you’re about to hit 12 months, your marital status and your score will change, and you’ll need to update your profile.
Ways your spouse can add points
- A language test, worth up to 20 points.
- An ECA for their foreign education, worth up to 10.
- Their Canadian work experience, up to 10.
- A brother or sister of your spouse living in Canada counts for the 15 sibling points.
- On the FSW grid, their language test can add 5 adaptability points.
Enter each partner’s details and see who scores higher.
Quick answers
Can we both create profiles?
Yes. Each of you can create a profile with yourself as principal applicant and the other as accompanying spouse. Whoever is invited first applies and includes the other.
Can my spouse work in Canada while we wait?
That depends on your own status. Spousal open work permits have their own rules, so check IRCC’s current eligibility before you count on one.
Is it better to apply with or without my spouse?
Your real plans decide whether your spouse is coming. If they are, the useful question is which of you should be the principal applicant.