For some, a Canadian master’s degree could be a ticket to permanent residence
Obtaining a master’s degree from a Canadian postsecondary institution can significantly boost your chances of getting permanent residence.
As a master’s graduate, you can qualify for a three-year open work permit, helping you gain Canadian work experience to qualify for permanent residence pathways, and you will score higher in Canada’s ranking system for selecting permanent residents.
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Under Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a master’s degree awards a sole applicant 135 points under Core/human capital factors, and a Canadian master’s degree provides an extra 30 under the "Additional points" allocation of the CRS.
The candidates with the highest CRS scores receive invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR) through Express Entry, the management system for Canada’s flagship PR programs.
Getting a master’s degree can often make the difference between getting PR and not being invited.
Here’s an example of a foreign national for whom a Canadian master’s makes all the difference.
Anna’s route to PR
Anna is a 24-year-old project manager from India. She has a bachelor’s degree and two years of work experience in her home country. She speaks flawless English (CLB 10).
Anna wants to immigrate to Canada to settle permanently, but CRS score is 416, far too low to expect to be invited under most Express Entry draws, which have seen cut-off scores from 515 to 547 for CEC draws in 2025.
Anna applies to Canadian master’s programs, is accepted, gets a study permit, and completes a one-year master’s at the University of Toronto.
After graduating, she obtains a three-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP), and works for a Canadian employer as a project manager for one year.
Over two years, Anna’s CRS has risen to 539—simply from having gained a Canadian master’s degree and one year of Canadian work experience. She is also now eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) PR pathway.
With a CRS score of 539, Anna would have qualified for 13 out of 15 CEC draws in 2025.
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Breakdown of Anna’s score before and after:
| Component of CRS | Points before master's | Points one year after master's |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 110 (age 24) | 110 (age 26) |
| Education | 120 | 135 |
| Language | 136 | 136 |
| Canadian Work experience | 0 | 40 |
| Skill transferability – Education | 25 | 50 |
| Skill transferability – foreign work experience | 25 | 38 |
| Additional points | 0 | 30 |
| Total | 416 | 539 |
Not all PR-hopefuls will be willing to go back to school, and some may already have Canadian work experience and/or have gotten PGWPs, with the result that a master’s will not increase their CRS as much as Anna’s.
Even so, any sole applicant will net an increase of 45 CRS points simply by going from having only a foreign bachelor’s to a Canadian master’s, or 30 CRS points in going from a Canadian bachelor’s to a Canadian master’s.
In some cases, foreign nationals may not need to pay much out of pocket for their master’s degree, as some Canadian postsecondary institutions may offer international student funding packages in excess of tuition costs for certain academic master’s programs.
For those seeking to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry but lacking a high enough CRS score, obtaining a Canadian master’s degree can be an attractive and viable route to making the cut for an ITA.
See your permanent residence eligibility and CRS score with CV+
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