Dear Mr Brown:

I just wanted to verify with you whether online studies during the pandemic will help towards applying for permanent residence (Express Entry) because I have been hearing conflicting stories.

– SR

Dear SR:

I am not certain of the different stories that you are referring to, however the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently announced that Express Entry candidates who had to study online due to public health restrictions over the past two years will be accommodated. The new measure applies to those who earned a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate online during the eligibility period.

These candidates may now be eligible for Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points even if the programme was entirely:

• completed via distance learning or online,

• from outside Canada, or

• through part-time studies.

Normally, online education does not count for CRS points if more than 50 per cent of the programme was completed through distance learning. However, at this time Express Entry candidates will now be eligible for Canadian educational credential points for programmes completed online between March 2020 and August 2022.

Applicable candidates would have to update their Express Entry profile, however candidates in the pool may have already received a letter from IRCC notifying them of the change.

Canada welcomes more than 350,000 international students every year. Studying and working in Canada continues to be one of the best pathways for permanent residence.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes including Express Entry, the Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com