2026 guide
After the ITA: turning an invitation into PR
Getting an Invitation to Apply is the milestone — but it starts a tight clock. Here is exactly what the post-ITA application involves, the documents that trip people up, and how to submit a clean e-APR on time.
The submission window
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is not permanent residence — it is your turn to make a complete application. You are given a fixed window to submit your electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR); historically this has been 60 days from the ITA, but you should confirm the exact deadline shown in your own account. Miss it and the invitation lapses, though you can usually return to the pool. The clock is the reason most of the document gathering below should start before you are invited.
Documents you will need
Exact requirements depend on your program and history, but a typical e-APR includes:
- Valid passport for you and each family member.
- Language test results (IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, or TEF/TCF for French) that are still valid.
- Your ECA report if you are claiming foreign education.
- Work reference letters proving your skilled experience — on company letterhead, with job title, duties, hours, salary and dates.
- Police certificates from countries where you have lived for the required period.
- An immigration medical exam from a panel physician.
- Proof of funds where your program requires it.
- Digital photos and any marriage, birth or status documents for accompanying family.
Police certificates and medical exams are the items most likely to cause a scramble, because they depend on third parties and on jurisdictions where you once lived. Line them up early.
Submitting the e-APR
You complete the application online, upload each required document, pay the processing and right-of-permanent-residence fees, and submit before your deadline. Accuracy matters more than speed here: the profile claims you made to earn your CRS score now have to be backed by evidence. If your documents do not support the points you claimed — for example work experience you cannot prove with a proper reference letter — the application can be refused, so only ever claim what you can document.
What happens after you submit
Shortly after submission you receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR). You may be asked to give biometrics. Express Entry applications have a published service standard of roughly six months for many cases, though individual timelines vary. If approved, you receive a request to submit your passport (often called PPR) and then your Confirmation of Permanent Residence. Completing your landing — whether at a port of entry or through an online process — is the final step that makes you a permanent resident.
How to avoid delays
- Prepare before the ITA. Order police certificates and book your medical as soon as you are in the pool with a competitive score.
- Get reference letters in the right format. Vague letters are the leading cause of refusals; insist on duties and hours.
- Keep tests and reports valid. Language results and ECAs expire — make sure they still cover you at submission.
- Be consistent. Names, dates and job titles should match across every document and your original profile.
See where you actually stand
Calculate your CRS score on the official 2026 grid in under two minutes.
Calculate my CRS score →This is general information about Canadian Express Entry, not immigration or legal advice. Rules, fees and figures change — always confirm the current details on the official Government of Canada (canada.ca) pages or with a licensed immigration representative before acting. The CRS no longer awards points for a job offer; those points were removed by IRCC on 25 March 2025.