Does my spouse’s TCF Canada give CRS points?
Checked November 1, 2026
Yes. If your spouse or partner comes with you, their first official language can add up to 20 CRS points, at most 5 per skill. With TCF Canada, that is 1 point per skill at NCLC 5 or 6, 3 at NCLC 7 or 8 and 5 at NCLC 9 or more.
Your spouse’s points, per skill
| Spouse’s level in each skill | CRS points per skill | All four skills |
|---|---|---|
| NCLC 4 or less | 0 | 0 |
| NCLC 5 or 6 | 1 | 4 |
| NCLC 7 or 8 | 3 | 12 |
| NCLC 9 or more | 5 | 20 |
Only your spouse’s first official language counts. The spouse section has no line for a second language. Your spouse’s test is converted with the same IRCC table as yours, so NCLC 7 on TCF Canada is still 458 in listening, 453 in reading and 10 out of 20 in writing and speaking.
What changes for you
- You count as single if your spouse is not coming to Canada, or is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- With a spouse, your own first-language points are slightly lower. At NCLC 7 you get 16 per skill instead of 17, and the maximum is 128 instead of 136.
- In IRCC’s grid, the French bonus (25 or 50 points) sits in the additional points section, apart from the spouse factors, whose only language line is the 20 points above.
Which of you should be the main applicant
If you could both qualify as the principal applicant, work out both options in IRCC’s CRS tool with your real results. When one of you is much stronger in French, the totals can differ a lot.
If your spouse is preparing too, writing is where a single point decides the band. 10 out of 20 is NCLC 7 and 9 is NCLC 6. All the CRS points for French are in how many CRS points French gives.