A family Express Entry application (CRS 496, cut-off 486) moved quickly after AOR — biometrics instruction in 2 days, medicals approved and biometrics received within a week, and 'Eligibility: Completed' on day 9 — but only for the primary applicant. The spouse and child still showed 'Eligibility: Not started' while all three were 'Background check: In progress'.
What group members explained:- Eligibility status typically won't change for the spouse and dependents. Members who followed successful FSW cases reported the eligibility line often stays 'Not started' for secondary applicants even as the file progresses normally.
- This makes sense given how eligibility is assessed. Program eligibility (work experience, education, CRS claims) is evaluated against the principal applicant; a spouse may only contribute language points, so there is less to 'complete'.
- Background check runs for everyone. All family members showed background check in progress — that part is per-person.
- Only escalate if truly stalled. The suggestion to contact IRCC applies when there have been no updates for a long stretch, not days after the last movement.
Bottom line: mismatched eligibility statuses between the principal applicant and dependents are a normal tracker quirk, not a sign something is wrong with the application.