The finish line is nearly in sight!
At this final stage of the process, IRCC will make sure that:
- the information you have submitted is complete and accurate
- you have paid your processing fees
- you have met all the requirements
- you have included all the required documents
IRCC will contact you through your account to:
- request your Biometrics and provide you with further instructions;
- to confirm they have reviewed your application;
- send you updates on the status of your application;
- request additional documents (if needed)
- set up an interview (if necessary); and/or
- generally provide you with further instructions on what to do next
The status of your application from AOR to PPR
You can check the status of your application by logging into your account.
Under “View my submitted applications or profile”, click on “Check status and messages”.
Generally, your application will go through a number of steps from the time you receive your Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) until you get your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
Disclaimer: The following steps should be referenced as an example only. They are based on trends and timelines provided by many applicants who have gone through the process. The process your application undergoes may differ from the example given.
After receiving your AOR, your application will progress through the following status updates:
1. Background Check: Not Applicable (NA1)
2. Medical passed – (MEP)
3. Background Check: In Progress (IP1) – R10 check happens here.
4. Background Check: Not Applicable (NA2)
5. Background Check: In Progress (IP2) – eligibility check (A11.2) happens here.
6. Background Check: Not Applicable (NA3) – this step does not always happen.
The order in which everything happens is: AOR 🡆 NA 🡆 MEP 🡆 IP1 🡆 NA2 🡆 IP2 🡆 NA3 🡆 PPR 🡆 COPR
Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)
- Within 24 hours of submitting your electronic application.
- The AOR is a letter confirming that your application has been received by IRCC and is under review.
Background Check: "Not Applicable" (NA1)
- Once you submit your application and get an AOR.
- The "Background check" status message should say "Not Applicable". This status will generally remain unchanged until your medical exams have been reviewed.
Medicals Passed (MEP)
- Once your medical exams have been reviewed, approximately 20-30 days after you receive your AOR.
- The status message should say "You passed the medical exam". Applicants with a provincial nomination can expect longer wait times.
Background Check: In Progress (IP1)
- Either the same day you get an update about your medicals or within roughly 24-48 hours thereafter.
- The "Background check" status message should say “Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start your background check.”. This is when your application undergoes an R10 completeness check (i.e. that you have uploaded all the necessary documentation to support your application).
Background Check: Not Applicable (NA2)
- Once IP1 has concluded.
- The "Background check" status message should revert back to “Not Applicable”. Given this status update generally occurs a few hours after IP1, you may miss it entirely.
Background Check: In Progress (IP2)
- The time for this step varies from case to case.
- The "Background check" status message should say “We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information”. This is when your application undergoes the eligibility check (A11.2) and a determination is reached on whether you meet the Express Entry minimum criteria (MEC) and possess the qualifications for which you received the CRS score at the time when the ITA was issued and you submitted your application.
Background Check: Not Applicable (NA3)
- Once IP2 has concluded.
- This status update is not visible to candidates. This stage signifies that a passport request is imminent.
