A software engineer (11+ years' experience, CLB 8, NOC 2173) entered the Express Entry pool with CRS 365 and asked whether sitting in the pool would be enough. The thread's answer was a clear no — here's the playbook members laid out:
- CRS 365 will not get a federal ITA. Waiting passively in the pool at that score is not a strategy. Pursue Provincial Nominee Programs in parallel — a nomination adds 600 CRS points.
- Know which PNPs pull from the pool vs. need a separate application. This is the key distinction members stressed:
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Saskatchewan (SINP) will
not find you in the Express Entry pool — you must create a separate SINP profile/EOI.
-
Alberta (AINP) does select directly from the Express Entry pool, historically with a minimum CRS as low as 300. However, selection depends heavily on whether your NOC is in demand in Alberta — the poster's IT NOC was noted as not especially in-demand there, though members felt a chance remained.
- Research each province's in-demand occupations. Members themselves asked "which NOCs are in demand for Alberta?" — the honest answer is it shifts, so check each province's current list rather than relying on group hearsay.
Historical note: the NOC 2173 code, AINP's ~300 CRS floor, and program names reflect the period of this thread (pre-NOC-2021, pre-category-based draws). The core lesson — low-CRS candidates must actively work provincial routes, some of which require separate profiles — still holds.