What is the maximum age for Express Entry?
There is no maximum age for Express Entry applicants. Applicants 20-29 receive the highest points for age. If you are significantly older than 35, but you have a high level of education or connections in Canada, these can easily overcome points lost for age.
Can I apply to Express Entry twice?
No, you cannot have two Express Entry applications for the same applicant at the same time. However, if you are married, you can submit an application under your spouse if they are eligible. Therefore one applicant cannot have multiple Express Entry profiles but you can have two profiles for the same family, in some circumstances.
If after 12 months you are not invited to apply, you can resubmit your profile and stay in the Express Entry pool for an additional 12 months. This can be repeated as many times as necessary.
How to fix mistakes in your Express Entry Profile
Express Entry uses a two-step system to manage the intake of immigrants:
- The Profile: Interested candidates create an Express Entry profile to show off their skills and experience. If they meet the eligibility requirements, they will be accepted into the Express Entry pool of candidates.
- The Application: The most competitive profiles from the Express Entry pool will be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
When Can I Make Changes?
Good news, if you’ve submitted your Express Entry profile and you have not yet received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence, then you’re in the clear to make changes! You can fix mistakes or even add new documents (for example, if you retake your IELTS exam and get a better score). But there are specific steps to follow. Here they are:
- Visit your Express Entry account welcome page. Next select the option that says, “What would you like to do today?”
- Next, head to the section that says, “View my submitted applications or profiles” and click on the button that reads “Check status and messages.”
- Near the bottom of the “Application/profile details” screen, you’ll see a button that says, “View submitted application.”
- Almost there, on the “Express Entry profile” page, hit the button that says, “Update form.” Make sure you select the appropriate section for modification.
- Make all the necessary changes (hopefully not too many), scroll to the bottom of the pages, then click “Save and exit.”
- All finished with your profile update? Look for the button that reads “Continue” near the bottom of the page. You’re now free to submit the newly modified version of your Express Entry profile. Pretty painless, right?
Quick reminder: Every time you enter a form and click on “Save and exit,” you’ll also notice a “Revert changes” button. It will be there even if no changes were made. Don’t panic. If you haven’t made any changes, hit the “Revert changes” button to make sure that the electronic system knows no changes were made.
Please note that if you make changes that affect your eligibility or your CRS score, the Express Entry system will update your profile to reflect these changes within 24 hours.
When Can’t I Make Changes?
1. Your profile is ineligible
Now for the bad news—there are a few situations in which you cannot make changes to your profile.
If your profile doesn’t meet the criteria for one of the Express Entry programs, it will be refused and you cannot update it. How do you know if you’ve been found ineligible? That’s easy. If you log onto your Express Entry profile and you only have the option to “View profile,” it means your profile has been reviewed and refused. The system will state that your profile was ineligible.
But don’t give up yet. You still have one option. You won’t be able to update your profile, but you can still submit a new profile. However, if you were considered not eligible based on your qualifications, you should probably wait until you’ve increased your eligibility before submitting another application. On your second application, be certain to enter and review all of the necessary information carefully to avoid any mistakes.
2. Your profile has received an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
If your Express Entry profile receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence then all the information entered into the profile becomes locked in place. While you can technically amend the information when preparing your final application, you should try to avoid this. If you make any changes to your application which makes you ineligible, your application will be refused. As well, the immigration officer handling your file reserves the right to request more information about any discrepancies between the original profile and the final application.
A note on misrepresentation: Lying or providing false information on an immigration application is a serious offense. If a person is caught doing this they may be charged with misrepresentation, resulting in a 5-year ban from submitting any applications for Canadian immigration.