After your Express Entry ITA: the 60 days that decide it
The invitation to apply is not the finish line; it is the start of the only part of Express Entry that IRCC actually verifies. You have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application with every document the profile promised, and the refusals that happen in Express Entry happen here. This guide lists the documents in the order to start them, the fees, the timeline after submission, and the mistakes that turn an invitation into a refusal.
Key takeaways
The ITA opens a 60-day window to file a complete PR application. Start police certificates and reference letters first, book the medical, get the bank letter, pay $1,525 per adult and $260 per child, and submit. IRCC verifies every profile claim at this stage; mismatches are refusals. Processing is about six months.
- 60 days, no extensions; declining returns you to the pool with your score.
- Start police certificates and reference letters on day one; they take longest.
- Fees: $1,525 per adult, $260 per child, $85 biometrics per person.
- Every profile claim is verified here; a document that shows less than the profile claimed can drop you below the cut-off.
- About six months to a decision in 2026; a bridging open work permit keeps you working meanwhile.
Day one: accept, decline, or do nothing
An invitation gives you three choices. Accept it and file within 60 days. Decline it, which returns your profile to the pool unchanged, with the same score and the same 12-month expiry, to be invited again in a later round. Or let it lapse, which also returns you to the pool but is untidy. Decline deliberately if you cannot get the documents in time or if something in the profile was wrong; an incomplete or inaccurate application is a refusal, and a refusal is worse than a wait. Accepting locks the profile, so the documents must now prove exactly what it says.
The document list, in the order to start them
| Document | Who | Lead time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police certificates | Everyone 18+ on the application | Days to months by country | Every country lived in 6+ months in a row since age 18. Current country: issued within 6 months of filing. Start on day one; some (India, Nigeria, the Philippines NBI, the US FBI) take weeks |
| Employer reference letters | Principal applicant, and spouse if claiming points | 1 to 4 weeks | Letterhead, dates, hours per week, salary, duties matching the NOC lead statement and main duties, signature and contact. Pay stubs and T4s support it |
| Immigration medical exam (upfront) | Everyone on the application, including non-accompanying dependants | 1 to 3 weeks for an appointment | Panel physician only; results go to IRCC electronically; you upload the confirmation |
| Proof of funds | FSW and FST principal applicants; not CEC, not with a valid job offer | 1 to 2 weeks for bank letters | Official letters with account numbers, opening dates, current and six-month average balances, debts; funds must be unborrowed and held until landing |
| Language test report | Principal, and spouse if claiming points | Already held | Must be valid (under two years old) on the ITA date and at submission |
| ECA report | Principal, and spouse if claiming points | Already held | Must be under five years old; reference number on the report |
| Passports | Everyone | Already held; renew if under 6 months validity | Biographical page for each person; old passports if travel history spans them |
| Civil documents | As applicable | Days | Marriage certificate, divorce decree, common-law proof (IMM 5409 and evidence), birth certificates for children, adoption papers |
| Digital photos | Everyone | Days | IRCC specification, recent |
| Nomination certificate or job offer | If claimed | Already held | Provincial nomination letter; LMIA and offer letter, or exemption details |
| Travel history and personal history | Principal and spouse | Hours | No gaps in the last 10 years; addresses, jobs, study, unemployment, travel |
| Letter of explanation | Optional | Hours | For gaps, name variations, a code that differs from the job offer, or anything an officer might question |
The reference letter is where Express Entry files die
The fees
| Fee | Amount (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee, principal applicant | $950 | Non-refundable once processing starts |
| Right of permanent residence fee, principal | $575 | Refundable if the application is refused or withdrawn; can be paid later but paying with the application avoids delay |
| Spouse or partner | $950 + $575 | Same structure |
| Dependent child | $260 | Each |
| Biometrics | $85 per person, $170 family maximum | Paid with the application; letter follows |
| Police certificates, medicals, translations, courier | Varies | Typically $300 to $900 per adult in total |
Submitting the e-APR, step by step
- 01
Open the application in your IRCC account the day the ITA arrives
The personalised document checklist appears there, generated from your profile. Print it. Diarise day 55 as your own deadline.
- 02
Order police certificates and request reference letters immediately
These are the long poles. Give employers the exact wording the NOC requires; give police authorities every identity document they ask for.
- 03
Book the upfront medical
With an IRCC panel physician. Everyone on the application, including non-accompanying family members, must be examined.
- 04
Get the bank letters (FSW and FST)
Each institution, on letterhead, with the six-month average. Do not move money in; do not borrow. See the proof of funds guide.
- 05
Complete the online forms
Personal history for the last ten years with no gaps, travel history, family information, work history matching the letters to the month. Contradictions between forms and documents are questions you will be asked.
- 06
Upload, review, pay, submit
PDFs, legible, in English or French or with certified translations. Read every field once more against the documents. Pay the fees and submit before day 60. Keep the confirmation.
- 07
Give biometrics within 30 days of the letter
At a visa application centre or Service Canada office. The file does not move until they are received.
What happens after you submit
Your account shows an acknowledgement of receipt, and the file appears on IRCC's application status tracker. IRCC's published processing time for Express Entry applications is about six months on its August 2026 figures. The stages you will see: completeness check (an incomplete application is returned, not queued, and the ITA is not restored), eligibility review of your program and points against the documents, medical and criminality and security checks, and a decision. A positive decision produces a passport request for applicants outside Canada or an eCoPR through the PR confirmation portal for those inside; the PR card follows by mail, in about 40 days once your Canadian address is on file.
If an officer has a concern that could lead to refusal, you receive a procedural fairness letter with a deadline; it is the one opportunity to answer before a decision. If you are refused, the letter states the reasons and your GCMS notesshow the officer's reasoning; a new profile is possible unless a misrepresentation finding bars you.
Keeping status while you wait
An applicant in Canada whose work permit expires within four months of the acknowledgement can apply for a bridging open work permit, an open permit valid until the PR decision. Apply before the current permit expires to hold maintained status. Applicants outside Canada wait abroad; the application does not give any right to enter, and a visitor entry to wait it out inside Canada is assessed on its own merits.
Changes after submission
Report, through the web form, any change that affects the application: marriage or divorce, a new child (who must be added and examined before a decision), a new address, a new passport, a change of job that affects a job-offer claim, or a criminal charge. Failing to declare a new spouse or child is the most common misrepresentation finding in Express Entry, and it bars the undeclared family member from later sponsorship. Job changes that do not affect the points claimed, for example a CEC applicant moving to a new employer after the experience was earned, are generally neutral but still worth declaring.
The refusals we see, and how to avoid them
- Points not supported. The letter shows fewer months, fewer hours or different duties than the profile claimed; the recalculated score falls below the round's cut-off. Match documents to profile before accepting the ITA.
- Missing police certificate. One country skipped because it seemed impossible; the file is returned or refused. Follow IRCC's country instructions and include proof of attempts.
- Expired language test at ITA. The result must be valid on the invitation date. A retake booked too late does not fix it.
- Funds that appeared last month. Borrowed or unexplained deposits fail the settlement funds test. See bank statements for immigration.
- Undeclared family members. Misrepresentation, five-year ban, and the family member is barred from future sponsorship.
- Incomplete personal history. Gaps of a month or more with no entry. Fill every month, including unemployment and travel.
- Job offer code differing from the profile code with no explanation. Add a letter of explanation up front.
Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497). Fees, checklists and processing times are IRCC's, current to August 2026, and change. Nothing here guarantees an approval.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have after an Express Entry ITA?
Sixty days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR) with every document and the fees. The deadline is fixed; IRCC does not extend it. If you cannot make it, you can decline the invitation and return to the pool with your score intact, which is far better than submitting an incomplete application.
What documents do I need after an ITA?
Passport for every family member; language test results; the ECA report; employer reference letters for every job claimed, on letterhead with duties, hours, dates and salary; police certificates from every country where you lived six months or more since age 18; an immigration medical exam (upfront medical); proof of funds (bank letters with six-month averages) unless CEC or exempt; digital photos; marriage or divorce documents; birth certificates for children; and, where applicable, the provincial nomination certificate or job offer documents. IRCC's personalised checklist in your account is the authoritative list.
How much does the Express Entry application cost after the ITA?
$1,525 for the principal applicant (processing fee plus right of permanent residence fee), $1,525 for a spouse or partner, $260 per dependent child, and biometrics of $85 per person to a family maximum of $170. Police certificates, medicals and translations are extra. Fees are paid online when you submit.
How long does Express Entry take after the ITA?
IRCC's published processing time for Express Entry applications is about six months from submission, on its August 2026 figures, across the three programs. Files that need a residency questionnaire, additional documents, a security check that takes longer, or a procedural fairness letter run past that. You track it on IRCC's application status tracker.
Can my score change after the ITA?
Your profile is locked when you accept the invitation, but IRCC verifies every claim. If a document does not support the points claimed, for example a reference letter that shows fewer months or different duties, and the corrected score falls below the cut-off of your round, the application is refused. That is why the documents must match the profile exactly, and why a profile should never be inflated.
What if I get a job or my situation changes after the ITA?
You must declare changes that affect the application: a new spouse or child, a change of address, a new passport, a new job if it changes your work-experience claim or a job offer claim. Some changes are neutral; some, like a new dependant not declared, are misrepresentation. Report through the web form after submission.
Do I need a police certificate from every country?
From every country where you lived for six months or more in a row since turning 18, including your country of citizenship, unless IRCC's list says a certificate is not available. Certificates from your current country must be issued within six months of submission; others are valid if issued after you last left that country. Some take months; start them before the ITA.
What is a procedural fairness letter after an ITA?
A letter from the officer saying they have a concern that could lead to refusal, for example a reference letter they doubt, a mismatch with the NOC, or a possible misrepresentation, and giving you a deadline to respond. It is the one chance to address the concern before a decision. Respond fully and on time; our procedural fairness guide explains how.
Invited and want the application to match the profile, exactly?
A licensed RCIC reviews the profile against the documents, drafts the letters of explanation and files a complete e-APR inside the 60 days.