Preparing to accept the invitation to apply is crucial at this stage, as you will only have 60 days to submit an application for permanent residence after receiving an ITA.
Now is the time for you to ensure that everything is in order and that you are fully prepared for the next steps of the process.
Getting your documents (such as police clearance certificates, medical exams, proof of funds, etc.) ready as soon as possible will give you peace of mind and allow you to move quickly when you need to apply for permanent residence.
Check your language test(s)
Make sure your language tests will remain valid for the duration of the process.
If you apply with expired language test results, your application will be refused. Language tests are valid for two years from the date they were issued and must also be valid on the day that you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and are invited to submit an application for permanent residence.
If it seems like your test results will expire before you receive an ITA, you can:
- do another test;
- apply before your test results expire (if possible); or
- decline the ITA and go back into the Express Entry pool for future consideration
Get your police certificates
When you apply for permanent residence, you will be required to provide police certificates for:
Since these documents often take time to obtain, we recommend asking for them as soon as you are in the Express Entry pool.
Some countries will only give you a police clearance certificate if you can provide them with an official request letter from IRCC. If this is your case, you can upload a document in the police certificate field in the document checklist that says: "I am applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC in order to obtain a police certificate". IRCC will then review your application and, provided it is otherwise complete, they will send you further instructions on how to get a police certificate.
Find out where you can obtain your police clearance certificate on this page.
Get your medical exam done
As part of your application for permanent residence, you and your accompanying family members will need to do an immigration medical exam (IME) from an approved panel physician.
You must use an approved panel physician. Your own doctor cannot do the medical exam.
You must complete a medical exam if you are:
- the principal applicant;
- the spouse or common-law partner of a principal applicant;
- the dependent child (including non-accompanying) of a principal applicant.
The purpose of a medical exam is to assess the health of applicants and their family members and to determine if they are medically inadmissible to Canada if they:
- Pose a risk to public health and safety in Canada because they have an infectious disease, such as tuberculosis or syphilis, that can endanger Canadians or if they have may be at risk of sudden mental incapacity or violent behaviour.
- May cause excessive demand on Canada's social and health services, which would result in longer wait times or exceed the excessive demand cost threshold for services in Canada (currently $108,990 over 5 years or $21,798 per year).
Since you are applying under Express Entry, you have the option of doing the exam before you apply. This is referred to as an "upfront medical exam". We recommend you do so to avoid unnecessary delays.
Medical exam results are valid for 12 months and must remain valid throughout the application process.
When you receive an invitation to apply, you will need to include the immigration medical examination (IME) number in your electronic application for permanent residence (eAPR).
Depending on whether the panel physician submits the medical files to IRCC on paper or electronically (eMedical), you will receive proof that you have complete the upfront medical examination, as either:
- The first page of the IMM 1017B-Upfront (“copy to client”); or
- A print out from eMedical entitled “Up-front medical notification”.
You will need to provide a copy of one of these (depending on which you received) when you submit your application.
In the case of exceptional circumstances where you are unable to complete your medical exam before you apply, IRCC may accept:
- proof that you scheduled a medical exam, including the date you scheduled it and the name of the panel physician; or
- a letter explaining your efforts to get a medical exam done
Translating your documents
If any of your documents are in a language other than English or French, they will need to be translated.
Specifically, you will need to upload:
- An English or French translation of the document
- A certified copy of the document
- An affidavit from the person who completed the translation (if they are not a certified translator)
You cannot do the translation yourself. The translation must either be done by a certified translator (someone who is a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial association of translators and interpreters in Canada) or you must provide an affidavit swearing to the accuracy of the translation and the language proficiency of the translator.
The cost for a certified translator will vary greatly depending on the provider, with fees ranging around $25 CAD per page up to 250 words, and an additional $25 CAD per 250 words above this limit.
Expiring passport
You should renew your passport if it will expire 6 months from the day you apply for permanent residence.
Make sure that all your travel documents will remain valid throughout the process.
The following documents are considered 'unreliable travel documents' and will not be accepted by IRCC for travel to Canada:
Now that you have taken steps to prepare for the process ahead, let's explore what you can do to search for a job and improve your chances of obtaining an ITA.