Pursuing a one-year diploma, in Canada or abroad, can significantly increase your chance of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system.
Particularly when combined with language results and/or Canadian work experience, a one-year diploma can make you a more competitive candidate through a boost to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
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Foreign credentials must be accompanied by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which verifies the Canadian equivalent of your international credential.
In this article, we break down how many additional points a single candidate can get by obtaining a one-year diploma, under each section of the CRS (and provide an example):
- Core / Human Capital Factors;
- Skill Transferability Factors; and
- Additional Factors.
Interested in how education can increase your score with a spouse? Check out our free CRS calculator.
Core / Human Capital
Under the level of education portion of the Core / Human Capital Factors, foreign nationals are awarded CRS points based on the level of the education credentials that they hold.
Foreign nationals adding a one-year credential to their Express Entry profile can raise their CRS score by a minimum of 60 points by completing a one-year diploma, if they do not have another education credential.
If candidates do already have an education credential, their CRS scores will rise accordingly:
- High school diploma + one-year diploma: 30 points to 90 points = increase of 60 points.
- Bachelor’s degree or three-year credential + one-year diploma: 120 points to 128 points = increase of 8 points.
Under education, foreign nationals can score 128 CRS points for possessing two or more credentials, if at least one of the credentials was tied to a program at least three years in length.
Skill Transferability Factors
In the Skill Transferability section of the CRS, foreign nationals are awarded points for the combination of their education and:
In total, in this section, individuals can amass up to 50 points by having a single one-year diploma, or 100 points (the maximum) if adding a one-year diploma on top of a three-year credential—depending on their language levels and Canadian work experience.
This is covered in further detail below.
Education + Language
Under this section the CRS awards either 13 or 25 points to candidates who only have a one year-diploma— depending on their language ability.
Candidates who add a one-year diploma to a post-secondary credential of at least three years can earn either 25 or 50 points, depending on their language ability.
If you meet a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7+ on all four first official language abilities (with one or more abilities under CLB 9)
- One-year diploma + CLB 7: from 0 points to 13 points = increase of 13 points.
- One-year diploma on top of a three-year+ credential + CLB 7: 13 points to 25 points = increase of 12 points.
If you meet a CLB 9+ on all four first official language abilities
- One-year diploma + CLB 9: from 0 points to 25 points = increase of 25 points.
- One-year diploma on top of a three+ year credential + CLB 9: 25 points to 50 points = increase of 25 points.
Education + Canadian work experience
Individuals who only have a one-year diploma can get either 13 or 25 points under this factor, when combined with either one-year or two years of Canadian work experience.
Individuals who add a one-year diploma to another post-secondary credential (of at least three years) can receive either 25 or 50 points, when combined with one or two years of Canadian work experience, respectively.
If you have one year of Canadian work experience
- One-year diploma + one year of Canadian work experience: 0 points to 13 points = increase of 13 points.
- One-year diploma on top of a three+ year credential + one year of Canadian work experience: 13 points to 25 points = increase of 12 points.
If you have two years of Canadian work experience
- One-year diploma + two years of Canadian work experience: 0 points to 25 points = increase of 25 points.
- One-year diploma on top of a three+ year credential + two years of Canadian work experience: 25 points to 50 points = increase of 25 points.
Additional Factors
You can obtain “Additional” points for Canadian study even through the completion of a one-year program resulting in a diploma.
Candidates who only have a one-year Canadian diploma can get an additional 15 points added to their CRS score, which alone can make or break whether an individual is invited for permanent residence.
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Fictional example
Here, we will illustrate the impact that obtaining a one-year diploma can have on one’s CRS score in practice.
No post-secondary credential → one-year diploma
Oscar is a 27-year-old from Baltimore, who has been living and working in the US as an administrative assistant for two years.
He also has one year of Canadian work experience obtained on a closed work permit, also as an administrative assistant.
Oscar is proficient in English (CLB 12) and excels in French (NCLC 10).
He only has a high-school diploma.
| Factors determining CRS score | Qualifications | Points awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 27 | 110 |
| Education | High school diploma | 30 |
| Language proficiency (first + second language) | CLB 12 + NCLC 12 | 160 |
| Canadian work experience | 1 year | 40 |
| Foreign work experience (language + foreign work experience) | CLB 12 + 2 years working in the US | 25 |
| Foreign work experience (Canadian work experience + foreign work experience) | 2 years working in the US + one year working in Canada | 13 |
| French + English proficiency | NCLC 10 + CLB 12 | 50 |
His CRS score without a one-year post-secondary diploma: 405.
How Oscar’s score changes with a one-year diploma
Oscar decides to study in Canada, where he completes a one-year office administration diploma at NorQuest College in Alberta.
Here’s how his score changes, with the changes bolded:
| Factors determining CRS score | Qualifications | Points awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 28 | 110 |
| Education | One-year diploma | 90 |
| Language proficiency (first + second language) | CLB 12 + NCLC 12 | 160 |
| Canadian work experience | 1 year | 40 |
| Foreign work experience (language + foreign work experience) | CLB 12 + 2 years working in the US | 25 |
| Foreign work experience (Canadian work experience + foreign work experience) | 2 years working in the US + one year working in Canada | 13 |
| Education (language + education) | CLB 12 + one-year diploma | 25 |
| Education (Canadian work experience + education) | 1 year working in Canada + one-year diploma | 25 |
| French + English proficiency | NCLC 10 + CLB 12 | 50 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada | One-year credential in Alberta | 15 |
His CRS score after having completed a one-year diploma in Canada: 530.
By pursuing a one-year diploma in Canada, Oscar was able to increase his score by 125 points.
Even if he hadn’t completed the one-year diploma in Canada (and therefore didn’t get the additional 15 points for in-Canada study), his score would have still increased by 110 points (CRS: 515).
Impact: Without this one-year diploma, Oscar would not have able to qualify for a single Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw over the last year or so, even with the recent dip in CEC cut-off scores.
Since January 2025, CEC cut-off scores have ranged from 508 (the two most recent draws) to 547 (May 13, 2025).
With a one-year diploma (resulting in a cut-off score of 530), Oscar would have qualified for 11 of the 19 CEC draws that took place from January 1,2025 to March 3, 2026.
Note: With Oscar’s original CRS score of 405 (without a one-year diploma), he would have been able to qualify for three out of the 10 French-language proficiency draws that took place between January 1, 2025, and March 3, 2026. As such, he may have been able to get an ITA, depending on when he entered the pool.
Cut-off scores for French category draws between those dates ranged from 379 (March 21, 2025) to 481 (August 8, 2025).
With the points increase gained through the one-year diploma, he would have qualified for all of them.
How to study in Canada
To study in Canada (and take advantage of the 15-point increase for having done so), individuals can take the following three steps:
Step 1: Select a study program.
If you wish to obtain a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) following your studies and gain Canadian work experience, ensure your program is PGWP-eligible before doing so—and that you meet field of study and language proficiency requirements as needed.
A one-year diploma program will provide you with a PGWP that is valid for up to one year.
Step 2: Apply to a Canadian designated learning institution, and secure a letter of acceptance and provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL), and an acceptance letter
Step 3: Apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a study permit.
Note that a study permit is not a travel document, it simply facilitates study in Canada. You may also need a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. Should your study permit be approved, you will be issued one or the other, depending on which you require—this document permits entry into Canada.
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