The first step towards permanent skilled worker immigration to Canada is completing an Express Entry profile. Using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), your score and rank in the Express Entry pool will determine whether you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR). Can I create multiple profiles for Express Entry?
The Express Entry pool’s point-based mechanism for evaluating candidates is called the CRS. The CRS score of each application is determined by several criteria, such as language proficiency, work experience, education, and abilities.
You can only have one Express Entry profile active at any given time, according to the Government of Canada. The immigration laws of Canada specify this rule.
It is emphasized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that registering multiple profiles will not increase your chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada or allow you to be invited under a different program.
Duplicate profiles in the Express Entry pool
As per a Strategic Policy and Planning report from the start of 2023, candidates are allowed to generate a new GCKey and thereafter submit a new profile, even though they can only have one active profile in the pool at any given moment. An applicant can utilize a GCKey, a special electronic credential that consists of a login and password, to access online government services.
There have only been a few hundred identical profiles in the pool throughout the previous few years. Since the numbers were so low, the IRCC decided that there was no need to take any action to delete these profiles. But in 2022, there were significantly more duplicate profiles in the Express Entry pool.
29,945 duplicate Express Entry profiles were linked to 10, 229 distinct candidates as of January 9, 2023. By comparing data variables like name, birthdate, and other details, the report was able to identify unique applicants and locate duplicate profiles.
The study notes the following, however, it does not explain why any applicants made more than one profile:
- In 70% of cases, there was no change in CRS scores between any two given profiles of a candidate. Such a high figure does not indicate an attempt to game the system.
- 53% of all duplicates have been inactive for 100 days, suggesting that many duplicates have been abandoned.
- The number of candidates that had more than one profile increased by 57% from October to November, which strongly indicates a response to the November 16th deadline to update profiles with NOC 2021 information.
The report concluded by stating that there is no clear indication of integrity concerns within the Express Entry system, but that the sheer number of duplicate profiles may warrant an effort by IRCC to “clean up” the pool.
Am I eligible for Express Entry?
Candidates must fulfill the requirements of at least one of the three federal economic immigration programs—the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program—to be eligible for Express Entry.
The FSWP is Canada’s primary economic immigration pathway. The minimum requirements include:
- At least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3;
- Validated intermediate or better language ability in English or French
- For candidates educated outside of Canada, an educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report
Apart from fulfilling the minimal work, language proficiency, and educational requirements of the FSWP, candidates also need to score at least 67 points under the points system.
For international students and foreign workers with Canadian work experience, the CEC grants permanent residence. Within three years of the application date, candidates must have completed at least one year of skilled, professional, or technical job experience in Canada and meet the necessary language proficiency requirements.
The FSTP is available to candidates who want to become permanent residents based on qualifying for a skilled trade. Eligibility criteria include:
- A minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years before submitting an application
- Meeting the job requirements of the skilled trade
- Having a full-time job offer in Canada for at least 1 year or possessing a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade that has been provided by an official Canadian authority
- Meeting language proficiency criteria
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