Express Entry Invitation to Apply: What Happens After You Get Your ITA

Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) means IRCC has selected your profile from the pool and invited you to submit a permanent residence application. It does not mean your PR is approved — it means the 60-day countdown has begun.

The 60 days is a legal deadline. IRCC does not grant extensions for documents you failed to prepare. Missing the deadline voids your ITA, your profile returns to the pool, and you start waiting for another invitation. Here is what to do from day one.

What the ITA Actually Is

The ITA is an electronic notification issued through your IRCC secure account. It confirms:

• Your CRS score at the time of the draw
• The draw date and cutoff
• The 60-day deadline to submit a complete application

The ITA does not guarantee permanent residence. It authorizes you to submit an electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). IRCC then reviews whether you actually meet the eligibility requirements you declared in your Express Entry profile.

The Non-Negotiable Deadline

You have exactly 60 calendar days from the date of the ITA to submit a complete, fully documented application. "Complete" means every required document is uploaded, every form is filled, and the government fees are paid. A single missing mandatory document results in the application being returned as incomplete — and your ITA is voided.

IRCC's position on extensions is firm. The only grounds for extension are extraordinary circumstances (serious illness, natural disaster), and even then, requests are rarely granted. Treat the 60-day deadline as absolute.

Days 1-5: Trigger the Long Lead-Time Documents

The first thing to do after receiving an ITA is not to start filling forms. It is to trigger the documents that take the longest to arrive.

Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs): Request PCCs for every country where you lived for six consecutive months or longer since age 18. Processing times:

• India (PSK): 2-4 weeks
• Nigeria (POSSAP + Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication): 4-6 weeks
• Philippines (NBI Clearance): 2-3 weeks
• Other countries: check the IRCC country-specific guide

Day 1 is not too early. For applicants who need certificates from multiple countries with slow processing, starting on day 1 is the only way to guarantee delivery before the deadline.

Document translations: Any document not in English or French requires certified translation. Send documents to certified translators on days 1-3. Allow 1-2 weeks for translation delivery.

Medical exam appointment: If you did not complete an upfront medical exam before your ITA, book a panel physician appointment immediately. In major cities (Mumbai, Lagos, Manila), appointments may be 2-4 weeks out.

Days 6-20: Manage Medical and Secondary Documents

Medical examination: Attend your panel physician appointment during this window. Bring your passport, vaccination records, and information about any ongoing health conditions. Results are transmitted electronically by the physician to IRCC — you do not upload medical results yourself.

If you completed an upfront medical exam, verify it is still within its 12-month validity window. If it is within 2-3 months of expiring, discuss with the panel physician whether renewal is advisable before you submit.

Educational documents: If any transcripts are not yet in WES's hands and you have not yet received your ECA, contact your university registrar immediately. WES needs sealed official transcripts — not copies you send yourself.

If your ECA is already complete, you only need the WES reference number (which you entered into your profile). You do not re-upload the ECA document.

Days 16-40: The Reference Letter Phase

This is the highest-risk phase of the application. Employer reference letters are the most common document to cause delays, refusals, or procedural fairness letters.

Contact all employers immediately: For each employer contributing to your claimed work experience, contact HR or your direct supervisor on day 16 (or earlier if possible) and explain exactly what you need:

• Official letterhead with company address and contact information
• Your exact job title
• Precise start and end dates
• Average hours worked per week (specific number)
• Annual salary and benefits
• A detailed description of your main duties

HR departments often push back, offering generic employment verification letters that confirm dates and salary but omit duties. Persist diplomatically — explain that Canadian immigration specifically requires duty descriptions and that the letter format is non-negotiable.

Allow 2-3 weeks for letter turnaround. Large corporations with centralized HR often have approval chains. Former employers may be slow to respond. If an employer is unresponsive after multiple contact attempts, begin collecting alternative documentation: pay stubs, employment contracts, T4 slips, and personal affidavits.

Verify NOC alignment: Cross-reference the duties described in each letter against the NOC 2021 profile you claimed. If the letters don't adequately support the lead statement and main duties of your NOC code, you need to request revisions before submitting — not after.

Days 41-50: Proof of Funds and Financial Documents

Request official settlement fund letters from your financial institution. The letter must include all accounts, outstanding debts, account opening dates, current balances, and the six-month average balance. Allow 5-10 business days for institutional letter processing.

If you have accounts at multiple institutions, collect letters from each.

For applicants whose funds include gifts or transfers from family members: prepare sworn affidavits and gift deeds during this window.

Days 51-60: Final Assembly and Submission

Digital formatting: IRCC has specific requirements for document uploads: PDF format, under 4MB per file, legible scans. Review each document for readability. A blurry passport scan or illegible transcript causes rejection.

Cross-reference everything against your original profile: Before submitting, verify that every detail in your reference letters, ECA, language results, and personal history forms matches your original Express Entry profile declaration exactly. Discrepancies — even minor ones like a start date off by one month — generate procedural fairness letters.

Pay government fees: The fee payment is part of the submission. As of April 30, 2026:

• Principal applicant: $1,590 CAD ($990 processing + $600 Right of Permanent Residence)
• Accompanying spouse: $1,590 CAD
• Each dependent child: $270 CAD
• Biometrics: $85 CAD per adult, capped at $170 per family

Pay through your IRCC secure account. Keep payment confirmation.

Submit before day 55: Do not wait until day 59 to submit. Technical issues with the IRCC portal — file upload errors, payment processing delays — have caused applications to miss the deadline. Submit by day 55 to preserve time for troubleshooting.

After Submission: What Happens Next

Once your application is submitted and the fees are paid, IRCC issues an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR). The AOR marks the official start of processing time.

IRCC will conduct a completeness check followed by eligibility review. During processing (typically 6-8 months), you may be asked for:

• Biometrics if not previously collected
• Additional documentation via a Procedural Fairness Letter
• An updated medical exam if your original expires during processing
• Updated police certificates if the originals expire

Monitor your IRCC account regularly. Respond to any IRCC requests immediately — delays in response can result in refusal.

What Happens If Your Application Is Returned

Under the 2025/2026 ruling in Devgon v. Canada, an officer returning your application as "incomplete" now constitutes a formal decision subject to judicial review. You can challenge an unjust return through:

1. A formal Request for Reconsideration to the visa office
2. Application to the Federal Court for Judicial Review if the visa office declines

This is a significant change from the previous policy where an incomplete return voided your ITA permanently with no recourse.

The Canada Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) Guide includes a day-by-day 60-day sprint plan with specific checklists for each phase, plus reference letter templates, the proof of funds documentation framework, and the complete post-ITA document assembly sequence. The 60 days is tight — having the framework in place before the ITA arrives is how applicants avoid losing it.