What to Do After Receiving Your ITA Through Express Entry in 2026: A Complete Guide.
Last updated: April 08, 2026 | Written by Narek Mirzoyan RCIC#R1005184 | Reviewed by Vahe Mirzoyan RCIC#R514223 at Mirzoyan Immigration
Table of Contents
TL;DR
What Is an ITA?
Your 60-Day Deadline
Documents to Gather Immediately
How to Submit Your PR Application
What Happens After You Submit
Mistakes That Cause Refusals and Delays
What to Do Right Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
You have exactly 60 calendar days from the date you received your ITA to submit a complete PR application online. There are no extensions.
Police certificates and medical exams take the longest. Request both on the day you receive your ITA.
Every family member must be declared, including dependents not accompanying you to Canada.
IRCC aims for a six (6) month processing time period for complete applications, but actual timelines may vary significantly.
If you need assistance or review of your application, Mirzoyan Immigration offers a wide variety of services from full representation to ITA application review. Our licensed RCIC will check every document before you submit, so errors do not cost you your invitation and the government fees, which are non-refundable.
TL;DR
You have 60 calendar days from the date you received your ITA, to submit a complete application online through your IRCC secure account. The most time-consuming documents typically are police certificates and medical exams, so request both the day your ITA arrives. Missing information regarding a family member, an expired language test, or a blurry scan of any documents can result in a refused application. IRCC targets six-month processing for complete applications, but that clock does not start until your submission is accepted and you receive your Acceptance of Receipt (AOR).
What Is an ITA?
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is an official notice from IRCC inviting you to submit your permanent residence application through Express Entry. IRCC issues ITAs through regular draws from the Express Entry pool of candidates. Each draw has a CRS cut-off score. If your score meets or exceeds that cut-off, you may be invited to submit your Permanent Residence (PR) application.
Receiving an ITA is the first step; it means you qualified for that draw. It does not mean you are approved for PR. Your application will still have to go through the full review process by IRCC after the initial submission.
Your 60-Day Deadline
Once you receive your ITA, you only have 60 calendar days from the date IRCC issues you your ITA to submit a complete application through the IRCC online portal. The deadline does not pause for weekends, holidays, or technical issues on your end.
IRCC typically does not grant extensions to this 60-day deadline. If your application arrives incomplete or after the deadline, IRCC returns it without processing. You lose the ITA and must re-enter into the Express Entry pool to wait for a new draw.
Documents to Gather Immediately
Your IRCC account will display a personalized document checklist for you after you receive your ITA. The items below apply to most applicants, but your checklist is the final authority.
Passport and Identity Documents
You need a valid passport for you and every family member included in your application, including dependents who will not be accompanying you to Canada at the time of the submission of your application. The passport must remain valid throughout the entire process. You should upload copies of the biographic data pages and every page that has a stamp or a visa counterfoil.
Language Test Results
Your language results must come from an IRCC-approved test. For English, that means it can be either IELTS General Training or CELPIP-General. For French, you also have two (2) options. French language tests are called TEF Canada or TCF Canada. These language tests are typically valid for two (2) years. Most importantly, your language results must be less than two (2) years old on the date you submit your application, and not the date of your ITA.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
If you indicated in your initial Express Entry profile that you have a foreign education and claimed foreign education points, you need a valid ECA from a designated organization. ECAs are typically valid for five (5) years from the date of issue. Just like your language exam, the same rule applies; it must be less than five (5) years old on the date you submit your application, and not the date of your ITA.
Proof of Funds
Depending on which category you were selected for the ITA, you may have to show that you can financially support yourself and your family members after arriving in Canada. IRCC publishes updated minimum fund requirements based on family size. You are exempt if you have a valid job offer or are currently authorized to work in Canada.
Police Clearance Certificates (PCC)
You need a police certificate from every country where you lived for six (6) months or more consecutively since the age of eighteen (18). Some countries take weeks or months to issue these certificates. Request the PCC the day your ITA arrives. Do not wait.
Upfront Immigration Medical Exam
You must complete an upfront medical exam with a panel physician approved by IRCC. These results are valid for 12 months. If IRCC does not finalize your application before your results expire, you will need to redo your medical examination. Book your appointment immediately after receiving your ITA.
How to Submit Your PR Application
All Express Entry applications are submitted through your IRCC secure account at the ITA stage. Everything is submitted digitally.
Upload each document in the format IRCC specifies. Most documents must be PDFs. File size limits of 4MB apply per upload. Check your checklist for exact requirements before scanning.
Pay all fees directly through the IRCC portal as the final step of your application submission. If you are not sure what the government fees are, be sure to check IRCC's current fee schedule immediately before paying, as amounts change.
Biometrics are required for most applicants. If you gave biometrics for a Canadian application within the past 10 years for a temporary resident visa, including a study permit, work permit or a visitor visa, you typically have to pay the fees again and complete your biometrics again. Failure to do so will cause significant delays or, in some cases, a refusal.
What Happens After You Submit
IRCC’s Processing Target
IRCC aims to process 80% of complete Express Entry applications within six months of the submission date. It is not guaranteed that your application will be processed within six (6) months. In 2025, after the conclusion of our federal elections, our current Prime Minister, Mark Carney, appointed a new Canadian immigration minister, Honorable Lena Metlege Diab. They proposed and implemented sweeping changes throughout IRCC as an organization. As part of those changes, IRCC executed major cutbacks and layoffs. This, as well as the actual completeness of your application, your country of origin, and current IRCC volumes, will have a significant impact on processing times.
Requests for More Information
At any point during processing, IRCC may send a request for additional documents or schedule an interview. Be sure to check your IRCC account regularly and respond to any requests within the given deadlines. Slow responses from you will delay your application or result in a refusal of your PR application. Remember, any decision made for any Canadian immigration application will be tied to your Unique Client Identification. This creates a permanent record on your profile.
Checking Your Status
Your IRCC account is the official source for updates. Some applicants also receive an email in addition to the portal notification, but those are not guaranteed, and sometimes can fall into your spam folder. It is a good practice to log in at least once a week during the processing.
Mistakes That Cause Refusals and Delays
Omitting a dependent accidentally or deliberately. Every family member must be declared on your application and must go through admissibility checks, including children you do not plan to bring to Canada. Failing to declare a dependent can result in misrepresentation findings, which carry serious consequences. Misrepresentation can result in upwards of a five (5) year bar to enter Canada.
Uploading illegible documents. Blurry scans, cut-off edges, and low-resolution images are common reasons IRCC requests resubmission or refuses to accept key documents. It is a good practice to scan at 300 DPI minimum. Each uploaded document should not be more than 4MB in size.
Letting language results expire. If your IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF test results are close to the two-year mark, verify their validity date before submitting. An expired test result can render your application incomplete. This applies to both you and your spouse if you received additional points for their language ability.
Missing police certificates from former countries. Applicants who have lived in multiple countries often forget to request certificates from all of them. You must provide a PCC from every single country that you have lived for six (6) months or more consecutively from the age of eighteen (18).
What to Do Right Now
The 60-day clock is running. Gathering police certificates and completing your medical exam are the two steps that take the most time. Start both as soon as possible.
Mirzoyan Immigration offers an ITA application review service. Before you submit your PR application, a licensed RCIC will review every document on your checklist, confirm all requirements are met, and flag anything that could delay or refuse your PR application. Book your pre-submission ITA review now, before your ITA expires. We have assisted many clients in successfully submitting their applications at the ITA stage. Whether it be a simple case or a complicated case with issues that need to be addressed during the submission stage, we got you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ITA in Canada’s Express Entry system?
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is an official notice from IRCC inviting you to submit your PR application as an Express Entry candidate. It is issued during a draw based on your CRS score. An ITA is not a visa or a PR approval. It is the first step of your PR journey.
How long do I have after receiving an ITA?
You have 60 calendar days from the date of your ITA to submit a complete application through your IRCC secure online account. IRCC does not grant extensions in most circumstances. The clock does not pause for weekends or public holidays.
What documents do I need after receiving an ITA?
You need valid passports for you and all family members, up to date language test results from an IRCC-approved provider, a valid Educational Credential Assessment (if you claimed foreign education points), proof of funds, police certificates from every country where you lived for six (6) months or more consecutively since the age of eighteen (18), and a completed upfront immigration medical exam from an IRCC-approved panel physician.
What happens if I miss the 60-day deadline?
IRCC will not process a late application. You will lose your ITA and will have to take steps to re-enter back in the Express Entry pool. There is no appeal process for a missed deadline. You will need to wait for a future draw with a CRS cut-off where your score makes you eligible.
How long does IRCC take to process an Express Entry application after submission?
IRCC targets processing 80% of complete Express Entry applications within six (6) months of submission. Your actual processing time depends on the completeness of your file, your country of origin, and IRCC’s current volume.
Can a licensed consultant review my ITA application before I submit it?
Yes, a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can go through every item in your document checklist before you click submit. Given the 60-day window and the severe consequences of errors, a pre-submission review is worth the time. Book a review with Mirzoyan Immigration before your deadline.
