The authorities formulated Ministerial Instructions (refer to Appendix A) under the authority of A10.3 (1) (e). These Ministerial Instructions list the Minimum Entry Criteria (MEC) – refer to Appendix D – for Express Entry. For gaining acceptance into the Express Entry pool, the applicants would need to meet the Minimum Entry Criteria (MEC). Similarly, applicants would also need to meet the Minimum Entry Criteria (MEC) when they:
- Receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) and,
- Submit their electronic Applications for Permanent Residence (e-APRs)
Situations could arise where candidates find that changes in their circumstances negatively affect their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. In this scenario, the applicant’s situation would typically change between the time they receive the Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the time they submit their electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR).
As a result, the applicants could find that:
- They no longer meet the Minimum Eligibility Criteria (MEC) of the federal immigration program to which they received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) or,
- Their recalculated Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores fall below the lowest ranked candidate in their round of invitations
In this scenario, these individuals would need to decline their Invitations to Apply (ITAs). This is in accordance with the Express Entry Ministerial Instructions.
In addition, the officers would also need to assess whether they could refuse the application for failing to meet the minimum requirements of the federal program to which the applicants have applied. On refusing the applications, the officers would need to invoke all the relevant and applicable grounds. Officers would also need to consider situations to find misrepresentations, wherever applicable.
Source: Citizenship and Immigration
