An applicant scoring 64 out of 67 on the Federal Skilled Worker grid — with a NOC (1122) in demand in Alberta — asked whether they're eligible for Express Entry. The thread untangled two commonly confused systems:
- The 67-point grid is the entry gate. FSW eligibility is scored out of 67 across experience, language, age, and education — you need 67, so 64 means not yet eligible to enter the pool under FSW. The fix members pointed to: improve IELTS, since language points move the needle fastest on both the grid and CRS. (This applicant had CLB 8, a master's, single, 1.5 years' experience — a higher language score could close the 3-point gap.)
- Check the module minimums. Members' first question was whether each IELTS module met the minimum band (their rule of thumb: 6 in each) — a high overall score doesn't help if one module falls below the threshold.
- Alberta picks directly from the Express Entry pool. Once you're in the pool, Alberta's Express Entry stream selects candidates directly — historically favouring in-demand NOCs and accepting relatively low CRS scores. One member believed a separate application with a fee was needed; the correction in-thread was that Alberta's EE stream draws from the pool. (Provincial mechanics change — verify on Alberta's current site.)
The order of operations: first clear the 67-point FSW gate (likely via a better IELTS), then enter the pool, then let in-demand-NOC provinces like Alberta find you.