So you got the golden email. The “Invitation to Apply” (ITA) is sitting in your inbox, and the initial celebration is giving way to a new, very specific kind of panic. “Now what?” The profile stage is over. This is the real deal—the final, complex application for permanent residence. This is where dreams get approved or, sadly, sometimes refused due to simple mistakes.
Let’s walk through this together, step by step. This isn’t about strategy anymore; it’s about precision. Your goal is no longer to score points. Your goal is to prove, beyond any doubt, that every single thing you claimed in your Express Entry profile is true.
The Clock is Ticking: Your 60-Day Lifeline
First, take a deep breath and note the date. You typically have 60 calendar days from the date of your ITA to submit a complete application. This is not a lot of time. Do not use the first week just celebrating. Open the application portal immediately and look at the document checklist it generates for you. This is your new bible.
Your 60-day countdown includes weekends and holidays. Time spent waiting for police certificates, reference letters from old employers, or certified translations counts against you. Start the very same day.
The Document Mountain: What “Complete” Really Means
The system will generate a personalized checklist. Here’s what you’ll almost certainly need, and where people stumble:
The Core Proof (You):
- Passport: Scans of every page with stamps, for you and all accompanying family members. Not just the bio page.
- Digital Photo: Follow the specs exactly. A selfie against a wall won’t cut it. Get a proper, professional immigration photo.
- Proof of Work Experience: This is the big one. You need reference letters from your past employers on official letterhead that match exactly what you claimed for points. They must include your job title, precise duties, salary, hours per week, and the exact period of employment (start and end year/month). Pay stubs, tax documents, or employment contracts can be additional proof. If a company no longer exists or a manager won’t comply, you’ll need a statutory declaration explaining this, plus as much secondary evidence as you can find.
- Language Test Results: You must upload the official test document from IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF. The result must be valid (less than two years old) on the day you submit your application.
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Report: Upload the official PDF from WES, IQAS, or another designated organization.
For Your Family (If Accompanying):
- All of the above (passport, photos) for each person.
- Marriage Certificate / Common-Law Proof: Translated and certified if not in English/French. For common-law, this means shared leases, joint accounts, bills—a stack of evidence.
- Children’s Birth Certificates.
- Medical Exams: You must complete an upfront immigration medical exam with a panel physician approved by IRCC. You cannot use your family doctor. Book this immediately, as appointments can be backed up. You upload the information sheet they give you.
- Police Certificates: For every country you (and any adult dependents) have lived in for six months or more since turning 18. Some countries take weeks or months to issue these. Start the requests now.
The Financial Requirement:
You need proof of funds unless you have a valid job offer in Canada. This means official letters from your bank(s) showing your name, contact info of the institution, account numbers, balances, and the average balance for the past six months. The money must be readily available (not in stocks, property, or a fixed deposit you can’t break). It must meet or exceed the low-income cut-off for your family size.
Filling the Forms: Consistency is King
This is where applications get returned or refused. Every field in your permanent residence application must match your Express Entry profile exactly.
- Job titles and dates? Must be identical.
- Personal history? You must account for every single month since you were 18, with no gaps. “Unemployment” or “Full-time student” are valid entries.
- Address history? The same—no gaps.
Any discrepancy, even a small one, can look like misrepresentation. Have your original profile print-out beside you as you fill out the forms. This is not the time for new, improved wording.
The Final Check Before You Hit Submit
Before you pay the fees, do this:
- Document Scan Quality: Are all PDFs clear, legible, and right-side up? A blurry document is an invalid document.
- Translations: For any document not in English or French, is a certified translator’s affidavit attached?
- Forms: Are all forms validated (signed digitally where required) and uploaded?
- Size Limits: Are your files under the MB size limit for each upload slot?
- Fee Payment: Have you calculated the correct total? This includes the processing fee for you and each dependent, and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Paying the wrong amount can cause delays.
What Happens After You Submit?
You’ll get an “Acknowledgment of Receipt” (AOR). This is your confirmation that the 60-day clock has stopped and the processing clock (which can be many months) has started.
Then, you wait. You can link your application to your online IRCC account to see status updates. The status will likely change to “Background Check In Progress.” You might be asked for additional documents via your account—check it regularly.
This period is stressful. Avoid the temptation to constantly check forums. Every application is unique. Trust that you were thorough.
The Most Common Reasons for Refusal at This Stage
- Incomplete Work Reference Letters that don’t list duties or match the NOC code.
- Insufficient Proof of Funds (missing six-month history, funds not liquid).
- Police Certificate Missing for a country you lived in.
- Medical Exam Issues (incomplete or expired).
- Misrepresentation from inconsistencies between profile and application.
You have the ITA. The hard part is done. Now, it’s a meticulous, administrative marathon. Treat it like the most important project of your life. Be slow, be careful, be exact. This is the final stretch. Your future is on the line, but you’ve got this. One document at a time.
The Final Stretch: From Submission to Settlement
Hitting “submit” on your permanent residence application is one of the most significant clicks you’ll ever make. In that moment, you transfer a year’s worth of hopes, paperwork, and meticulous effort into the hands of a system. It’s an act of faith, backed by your own hard evidence.
What you’ve just completed is the ultimate test of your organizational skills and attention to detail. It’s far more than an application—it’s a legal declaration of your life story, verified by documents. The 60-day sprint is over. Now begins the patient marathon of waiting.
This waiting period is its own kind of challenge. You’ll be tempted to refresh your email a dozen times a day, to scour online forums for timelines that don’t apply to you, and to interpret every day of silence as a sign of a problem. Try to let that go. You have done your job. Your application is now in a queue, being reviewed by a human officer who will follow a checklist as careful as the one you just used. Trust the process you worked so hard to correctly follow.
Frequently Asked Questions: After the ITA
You’ve submitted your application and now the real wait begins. Here are the answers to the questions everyone has during this nerve-wracking stage.
How long will it actually take to get a decision after I submit?
There’s no single answer, and the posted processing times on the IRCC website are just estimates. Currently, it can range from 5 to 8 months for a complete application, but it can be faster or slower. The timeline depends on your specific visa office, the complexity of your background check, and how quickly you responded to any requests. The key is to submit a complete, perfect application upfront to avoid delays.
What does “Background Check In Progress” really mean?
This is the longest and most opaque phase. It has two main parts:
- Criminality Check: Verifying your police certificates and ensuring no inadmissibility.
- Security Check: A more comprehensive screening done in collaboration with international partners.
It moving to “In Progress” is normal. No news is good news during this stage. It does not mean they’ve found a problem.
I got a “Request Letter” or “Procedural Fairness Letter” in my portal. Is this bad?
It’s serious, but not necessarily a refusal. It means an officer needs clarification or has a concern. It could be about a missing document, a gap in your history, or confusion about your job duties. This is not the time to panic—it’s the time to act quickly and precisely. You typically have 7-30 days to respond. Get professional help from a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer to craft a thorough, documented response. Ignoring this letter leads to refusal.
Can I travel outside my home country while my application is processing?
Yes, you can travel, but you must inform IRCC if your mailing address changes. More importantly, if you are asked to submit your passport for the visa stamp (Passport Request – PPR), you must be able to submit it to the correct visa office within the specified timeframe, usually 30 days. If you’re traveling, plan for how you’ll get your passport to a visa application centre.
My medical exam or police certificate will expire soon. Will I have to redo it?
Possibly. IRCC has extended the validity of some documents due to processing delays. However, if your application is not finalized before your medical or police certificate expires, an officer may request a new one. Do not redo anything unless they specifically ask you to. Wait for their instruction.
What’s the difference between a “Ghost Update” and a real update?
A “Ghost Update” is when you log into your portal and see your application status has changed to “Application/Profile Updated,” but when you click in, nothing has changed. No new messages. This usually means an officer has opened your file and done some work on it. It’s often a positive sign that things are moving. A real update will have a new message in your account, like a request for a document or a passport request.
When will they ask for my passport?
The Passport Request (PPR) email is the very last step. It comes after everything else—eligibility, medicals, criminality, and security—is passed. When you get it, celebrate. It means you’re approved. You then have a short window (often 30 days) to send your passport to the visa office so they can affix the permanent resident visa and issue your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) paper.