The completion of an Express Entry profile is a necessary first step towards becoming a permanent resident of Canada for skilled workers. The invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR) that you subsequently get will depend on how well you score and where you are in the Express Entry pool as determined by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Your CRS score is determined by a points-based system that carefully takes into account several variables, including job experience, education, abilities, and language competence.
It is essential to remember that, following Canadian immigration rules, a person may only have one active Express Entry profile at any given time. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) emphasizes that making more than one profile would not increase the possibility of being invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada or make invitations under other immigration programs easier to get.
A worrying tendency inside the Express Entry system is shown by a recent Strategic Policy and Planning report from the beginning of 2023. Although applicants are only allowed to have one active profile, some have managed to get around this restriction by making additional profiles with GCKey, a special electronic credential. Previously, the number of duplicate profiles in the pool was still in the hundreds, and the IRCC did not take any action right away. However, in 2022, there was a significant increase in bogus profiles, which caused concerns in the immigration system.
A startling 29,945 duplicate Express Entry profiles were linked to 10,229 distinct individuals as of January 9th, 2023. By cross-referencing data variables like name and birthdate to find duplicate profiles, the report was able to identify these prospects. The paper offers several important observations even if it doesn’t explore the reasons underlying the establishment of numerous profiles:
1. There was no difference in CRS ratings between any two candidate profiles in 70% of cases, suggesting that the system had not been manipulated or gamed.
2. A noteworthy 53% of all duplicate profiles had been dormant for 100 days, indicating that a large number of duplicates were dropped, maybe as a result of applicants’ misunderstandings or lack of clarity.
3. From October to November, the proportion of applicants with multiple profiles rose by 57%, suggesting a significant reaction to the deadline of November 16th for updating profiles with information from the NOC for 2021.
The IRCC may need to “clean up” the pool of duplicate profiles because of their sheer number, even if the report’s conclusion indicates that there are no obvious signs of integrity issues with the Express Entry system.
Candidates must be eligible for at least one of the three federal economic immigration programs—the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)—to be considered for Express Entry.
As Canada’s main economic immigration route, the Federal Skill Work Program (FSWP) has minimal standards that applicants must meet. These include a minimum of one year of relevant work experience, verified language competence, and, for those with non-Canadian education, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Candidates must also get a minimum of 67 points under the FSWP scoring system.
International students and foreign workers with Canadian work experience are eligible for the CEC; however, they must fulfill language competence requirements and have at least one year of relevant work experience in Canada.
For individuals pursuing permanent residency through skilled trades, the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) requires two years of relevant work experience, meeting job requirements, a full-time job offer in Canada for a minimum of one year, or possession of a certificate of qualification from an official Canadian authority, in addition to meeting language proficiency requirements.
