Public health rules have forced students out of the classroom and onto the internet in the past two years. Canada is loosening requirements for Express Entry applicants who studied online during the pandemic.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points are not granted for online education if more than 50 percent of the program is completed online.
However, due to recent Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) news, Express Entry candidates are now qualified for Canadian educational credential points for online programs finished between March 2020 and August 2022.
According to the IRCC website, people who received a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate online during the eligibility period are subject to the new policy. Even if the program was complete:
- online,
- from outside of Canada,
- or through part-time study.
Additionally, IRCC advises eligible candidates to update their Express Entry profile. IRCC may have already sent a letter to candidates in the pool informing them of the change.
Candidates who have claimed an education degree are instructed to update their profiles by responding to three questions in the education history section.
The questions inquire about the amount of in-person study, a study in Canada and full-time study the candidate completed to get the credential. It states that the candidate’s CRS score could drop if these fields stay unfilled.
The letter contains the following:
- This is to inform you that there have been changes to how Express Entry evaluates Canadian educational credentials, which may impact your Express Entry profile.
- If you have claimed to possess a Canadian educational credential, you must update your profile by responding to three new queries in the Education History section regarding the amount of in-person study/training, study/training in Canada, and full-time study/training you completed to earn the credential.
- If these fields stay unfilled, your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score may decrease, and you may miss out on an invitation to apply for permanent residency.
- Update your Express Entry profile by August 2, 2022, to increase your chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence until the next round of Express Entry invitations.
- IRCC recommends that candidates update their Express Entry profiles by August 2 to maximize their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the subsequent Express Entry draw.
- On average, IRCC conducts Express Entry draws every two weeks, although there have been occasions when this timetable has been altered. The next Express Entry draw is anticipated to occur on August 3.
- Since July 6, when 1,500 Express Entry applicants were invited to apply for Canadian permanent residency, IRCC has conducted all-program draws.
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