CRS calculator with French (NCLC)

How to use the calculator

Replace the sample inputs with your age, education, marital status and years of Canadian and foreign work experience. An accompanying spouse changes the core points grid and adds spouse factors; a spouse who is not accompanying you uses the grid without spouse factors. Only select Canadian education, a nomination, a sibling or a certificate of qualification if you meet the official conditions.

Choose your first official language and enter a separate level for listening, reading, writing and speaking. Turn on “I have (or expect) TEF results” to review and edit all four French NCLC inputs. The initial French levels are sample values, not an assessment of your ability. With French as your first language, the calculator counts those levels even if the switch is off; with English first, the switch must be on for French to count. Use expected levels only to explore a hypothetical scenario, not to claim official points.

When do French skills add 25 or 50 CRS points?

The French-language bonus requires NCLC 7 or higher in each of the four French abilities, not an average of 7. IRCC awards 25 additional points with no English test or CLB 4 or lower in all four English abilities, or 50 additional points with CLB 5 or higher in all four English abilities.

For example, French NCLC 7 in all four abilities and English CLB 5 in all four earns a 50-point French bonus; the same French levels with no English test earns 25. If even one French ability is NCLC 6, the French bonus is 0. These are bonus points, not total CRS scores. This tool uses the lowest English level to choose 25 versus 50; for mixed English levels below the CLB 5 threshold, confirm your points with IRCC’s official calculator.

NCLC 7 in all four French abilities also meets the language threshold for the French-language category. The calculator’s category indicator checks only that threshold: you must still meet the requirements of an Express Entry program and the current category and round of invitations. It does not guarantee eligibility or an invitation.

CLB, NCLC and TEF scores are not interchangeable

CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks) describes English proficiency; NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens) describes French proficiency. The calculator accepts these benchmark levels, not raw TEF test scores. Convert each official TEF Canada ability score using IRCC’s language-test equivalency tables for the applicable test date before entering it.

Do not enter a TEF score out of 699, a CEFR level such as B2, or one overall average in these fields. TEF Master readiness levels and the free reading/listening diagnostic are preparation estimates, not official TEF results; the diagnostic does not supply official levels for writing and speaking.

What makes up the score?

The total combines core human-capital points (age, education, official languages and Canadian work), accompanying-spouse factors, skill transferability (capped at 100) and additional points (capped at 600). The overall CRS maximum is 1,200. French can affect core language points and transferability as well as the separate French bonus, so there is no single fixed value for one more NCLC level.

For example, French as the first official language at NCLC 7 in all four abilities contributes 68 core language points without an accompanying spouse, or 64 with one. At NCLC 9 in all four, those figures are 124 and 116. If French is the second official language, NCLC 7 in all four contributes 12 core language points. Transferability also depends on your education and work experience; reaching level 9 in every first-language ability can increase it, subject to caps.

How to interpret your estimate

Compare scenarios while keeping the rest of your profile unchanged, then read the core, spouse, transferability and additional-point breakdown. A scenario that sets all four French abilities to the same NCLC level is illustrative, not a forecast of your test results. Caps may mean an improvement adds fewer points than expected, or none.

This is a non-official planning estimate, not immigration advice, proof of eligibility or a guaranteed invitation to apply. Valid approved language-test results and the official conditions for education, work, nominations and other factors are required. Only IRCC’s official calculator and your Express Entry profile are authoritative; check current rules and invitation rounds before making decisions.