What is AOR?

The Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) is IRCC's confirmation that your application has been received and meets basic completeness requirements. The AOR date is the formal start of the processing clock — IRCC's published service standards (e.g., "5-6 months for Express Entry") are measured from AOR, not from your submission date.

When AOR is issued

• Express Entry eAPR: AOR typically issued within 1-3 weeks of submission.
• Spousal Sponsorship (outland and inland): AOR within 2-8 weeks.
• Study permit: AOR within 1-4 weeks.
• Work permit: AOR within 1-4 weeks.
• Citizenship: AOR within 1-3 months.
• PGP, Self-Employed, SUV: AOR varies more widely.

What AOR confirms vs. doesn't confirm

AOR confirms:

• Application received by IRCC.
• Required forms submitted.
• Application fee paid.
• Basic completeness check passed.

AOR does NOT confirm:

• Eligibility under the program.
• That the application will be approved.
• That no further document requests will follow.

Why AOR matters

• Processing-time benchmark: AOR is the start of the IRCC processing clock. Service-standard estimates are measured from this date.
• Document validity windows: Police certificates, medical exams, and other time-limited documents are often valid from AOR forward.
• Status implications: For inland applicants (e.g., inland sponsorship, study/work permit extensions), AOR often confers implied-status work authorization.

Common gotchas

• No AOR after 60+ days: usually means the application was returned for incompleteness. Check IRCC online account; the file may have been rejected at intake.
• AOR date differs from submission date: this is normal. The lag reflects IRCC's intake processing time.
• Different AOR types: some applications have multiple acknowledgment letters (e.g., "AOR 1" at intake, "AOR 2" after biometrics).

See also

• eAPR — Express Entry's PR application.
• ITA — what triggers Express Entry submission.