The Express Entry program is a federal point-based system with the objective of getting the eager and skilled workers who can assist in the enhancement of national development in Canada. Ranging from educational qualification to age, work experience, and language fluency, the candidate evaluation is based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
In instances of a tie among candidates, as in more than one candidate having the same CRS score, the tie-breaker rule will decide the candidate to whom the Invitation to Apply (ITA) shall be issued. Appropriate understanding of how this rule gets decided will optimize an applicant’s chance of getting selected.
How Express Entry Works
It is a system on the internet operated by the Canadian government for the handling of applications concerning three key immigration programs for economic reasons. The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is for persons with foreign work experience matching specific requirements. The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) accommodates persons at lower skilled trades with job offers or certification in Canada. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is for persons with previous Canadian work experience at the time they are available to transition into landed immigration status.
Every candidate interested in an opportunity via the Express Entry program initiates personal online profiles, which is essentially one’s ticket to the pool. The CRS scores points in various ways. Draws are scheduled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The highest CRS scorers will be given an ITA to apply for residence.
What Is the Tie-Breaker Rule?
When the draw produces a result where too many candidates have the same CRS score, the tie-breaker rule is used to rank applicants giving priority to the chronological order of the date and time of their submission of their Express Entry profiles. In this situation, the website will say that the candidates who submit earliest will be ranked higher than those candidates hosting the same score but who submit later.
For example, if the CRS cut-off score for a specific draw has been set at 470, and multiple candidates vie for it, IRCC will decree a fixed date and time to decide the tie-breaking cutoff after which candidates are clocked out of the session on the waitlist for ITAs.
Importance of the Tie-Breaker Rule
The rule ensures the process is clear and is determined by the date the profile was submitted. It encourages applicants to create their profiles at the earliest possible moment since any delay in the submission process can affect their chances of being invited to apply. The tie-breaker rule is highly substantial in the case of those who fall into CRS scores with very competitive scores, literally breaking those ties with candidates who have very similar profiles.
Ways to Enhance Your Chances in Express Entry
Most importantly, submitting your profile to Express Entry allows applicants to improve their ranking, should a tie happen, of course. As no claimant will guarantee them an ITA, the tie breaker itself can be crucial. Candidates can improve their CRS scores by means of their language test scores, getting a bit more work experience, or getting a nomination certificate from a territory.
The Nomination increases a whopping 600 points to the profile. Keeping up with new updates in job experience and qualifications will also increase chances of receiving an ITA. The potential advantage for submission is unimaginable for a candidate who just let their profile sit untouched for a long period of time.
Conclusion
The Express Entry provides a streamlined process for receiving permanent residency to skilled workers, albeit with stiff competition. This tie-breaker rule has been set to resolve disputes between candidates who share the same CRS score. Getting an ITA in the Express Entry system will highly depend on understanding how to make up that score wisely.