Expression of Interest (EOI) — Canada
Statutory definition
Under the Express Entry system, candidates create an online profile that functions as the EOI. Provincial and territorial immigration programs often have their own EOI systems where candidates register interest before being selected by the province to apply. Most PNP enhanced streams draw candidates from the federal Express Entry pool, while base PNP streams operate their own intake processes.
Explanation
The EOI is the entry point into many immigration programs. For federal Express Entry, the EOI (the online profile) enters the candidate into the pool where they are ranked by CRS score. For provincial programs, submitting an EOI does not guarantee an invitation to apply — provincial algorithms or human review select candidates from EOI pools based on factors including occupation, language, age, and ties to the province. Candidates may have multiple EOIs active simultaneously.