From ITA to COPR: What Happens After Your Express Entry Invitation

Receiving an Invitation to Apply is a big step, but it is not approval. It means Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invites you to prove, with documents, everything you claimed in your Express Entry profile.

After the COPR, you complete the process by landing as a permanent resident.

You have 60 days from the date of your ITA to submit a complete application. You can't get an extension. If you miss the deadline, the invitation expires and you go back to the pool, if you are still eligible.

You can also decline the ITA. You might do this if you can't gather key documents in time or if your situation changed. Declining returns you to the pool; it does not count against you. Accepting and then submitting an incomplete or inaccurate application is much worse, because it can be refused.

Your application must match your profile. IRCC checks that the facts you claimed when you were invited were true at that time. If your score was based on a language result, a work history, or an education level that you can't prove, your application can be refused. Check your claims against your documents before you accept the ITA.

The document checklist in your account is tailored to you. Most applicants need:

• Passport or travel document for you and each family member
• Language test results that were valid when you submitted your profile. See language tests
• Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for education earned outside Canada, if you claimed it. See ECA guide
• Work reference letters for each job you claimed, on company letterhead, showing your title, duties, hours, salary, and dates
• Police certificates from each country where you lived for 6 months or more since age 18. See police certificates
• Medical exam confirmation, if you did an upfront exam. See medical exam guide
• Proof of funds, if you applied under the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades program and are not exempt. See proof of funds
• Civil documents: birth certificates, marriage certificate or proof of common-law relationship, divorce papers if relevant
• Provincial nomination letter, if you have one
• Digital photos meeting IRCC's specifications

Documents not in English or French need certified translations. If you can't get a document in time, upload a letter explaining why, with proof that you requested it.

Fees for economic immigration, including Express Entry, as of September 2026 (the fees increased on April 30, 2026):

The right of permanent residence fee is refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn. Also budget for medical exams, police certificates, translations, and travel.

Acknowledgment of receipt (AOR). IRCC first checks that your application is complete. If it is, you receive an AOR. If it isn't, the application can be returned. The AOR is also the document you need to apply for a bridging open work permit if you are working in Canada.

Biometrics. If you haven't given biometrics in the last 10 years, you receive a biometrics instruction letter. You usually have 30 days to give them. See biometrics.

Medical exam. If you didn't do an upfront exam, IRCC sends instructions. Do the exam quickly with an IRCC panel physician.

Background checks. IRCC checks eligibility, security, and criminal records. You may be asked for more documents. Reply before the deadline.

Track expected times with our processing times tool. IRCC aims to finish most Express Entry applications in about 6 months, but some take longer.

When IRCC approves your application:

• If you are from a visa-required country and outside Canada, IRCC asks for your passport to place a permanent resident visa in it.
• You receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). It shows your personal details and an expiry date, usually based on your passport or medical exam expiry.
• If you are in Canada, you may be invited to confirm your permanent residence online through IRCC's PR confirmation portal.

You must become a permanent resident before your COPR expires. Check every detail on the COPR; errors in your name or date of birth should be fixed before you land. If your application is refused, read the reasons; see refusals and GCMS notes.