Edana Robitaille - 01 August, 2022
Restrictions due to the pandemic over the past two years have caused many international students to complete their education online, making it difficult for them to obtain the necessary educational credentials they need to be eligible for some Express Entry programs.
Normally, a student needs to complete at least half of their Canadian education program while living in Canada. However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently announced that learning credentials for students who completed Canadian educational programs online between March 2020 and August 2022 will now be able to use these credentials as part of their overall CRS score.
As pandemic restrictions are loosening around the world, this measure will only be temporary, but it will allow students who completed their program through a designated learning institution during the eligible period to obtain CRS points for their educational credentials if they completed their program entirely:
This means that students can use education completed online as part of their education credentials when uploading their online Express Entry profile.
IRCC sent a letter to many candidates already in the Express Entry pool advising them of the new measure. The letter states that candidates need to update their education information in their online profile. According to the letter, there are three new questions in the education history section that must be answered or candidates' risk having a lower CRS score.
Candidates need to update how much in-person study, studying while physically in Canada and full time studying the candidate completed to get the credential. IRCC is advising candidates to update their profile by August 2 to ensure they maintain their CRS score and remain eligible in the upcoming Express Entry draws.
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