The Settlement Funds
It is worth noting that settlement funds do not form a part of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) – refer to Appendix C. However, these funds do pertain to the program requirements specified for the following programs:
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and,
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Therefore, the authorities would include them in the Minimum Eligibility Criteria (MEC) for Express Entry as well (refer to Appendix D).
A change in the applicant’s family circumstances might affect the applicant’s eligibility. However, this would typically depend on the settlement funds required by the program to which the applicant is applying.
For instance, consider that an applicant submits the electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR) under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Subsequently, the applicant informs Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) of the birth of a child in the family. In this scenario, the officer would need to re-assess the application for determining whether the applicant still meets the prescribed minimum settlement funds as specified by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
Officers might come across situations where the applicant might not have the required settlement funds. In this scenario, they would have no other alternative but to refuse the application on program requirements.
Similarly, situations might arise where the applicant fails to declare a child in the electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR). However, the applicant subsequently informs Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) of the existence of the child – in particular that the said child existed when the applicant submitted the electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR). In this scenario, the officers would need to assess the application on A11.2.
Processing offices typically bear the responsibility of determining whether the applicants meet the program requirements for settlement funds. Therefore, they would need to apply the principles of procedural fairness in this regard.
Source: Citizenship and Immigration
