FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Hissong Joseph 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 02/10/2016 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Essent Group Ltd. [ESNT] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O ESSENT GROUP LTD., CLARENDON HOUSE, 2 CHURCH STREET 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior Vice President 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) HAMILTON, D0 HM 11 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common shares, par value $0.015 55,841 (1) D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hissong Joseph C/O ESSENT GROUP LTD. CLARENDON HOUSE, 2 CHURCH STREET HAMILTON, D0 HM 11	Â	Â	  Senior Vice President	Â

Signatures

Lawrence E. McAlee, as attorney-in-fact		05/04/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Represents restricted shares granted under the issuer's 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan, of which (i) 20,203 shares are subject to time-based vesting in equal installments on each of July 1, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, (ii) 5,145 shares were granted as part of the reporting person's annual bonus for 2015 and will vest in equal installments on each of March 1, 2017, 2018 and 2019, (iii) 5,145 shares are subject to time-based vesting and will vest in equal installments on each of March 1, 2017, 2018 and 2019, (iv) 20,203 shares will become earned based upon the issuer's compounded annual book value per share growth percentage during a three-year performance period commencing January 1, 2015 and vesting on July 1, 2019, and (v) 5,145 shares will become earned based upon the issuer's compounded annual book value per share growth percentage during a three-year performance period commencing January 1, 2016 and vesting on March 1, 2019.
  Remarks: Exhibit 24 - Power of Attorney

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