What is an ITA?

An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is the formal invitation IRCC sends to a candidate in the Express Entry pool, inviting them to submit a complete electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). ITAs are issued in batches during Express Entry "draws," based on the candidate's CRS score and the draw category.

Receiving an ITA does not make you a permanent resident — it only opens a 60-day window during which you must submit a complete PR application supported by all required documents.

How do you get an ITA?

1. Create an Express Entry profile demonstrating eligibility under one of the three federal programs: CEC, FSW, or FSTC.
2. Your profile receives a CRS score and enters the pool.
3. IRCC holds draws (roughly 1-2 per week) inviting top-ranked candidates by category and CRS cutoff.
4. If your CRS is at or above the cutoff and you match the category (where applicable), you receive an ITA in your IRCC online account.

What happens after an ITA?

• 60-day deadline to submit the eAPR. Missing this window means the ITA is rescinded and you fall back into the pool with your existing CRS.
• The eAPR must include: medical exam results, police certificates from every country you've lived in 6+ months since age 18, biometrics, supporting documentation for every claim in your profile (work-reference letters, ECA, language test results, etc.).
• You can decline an ITA and remain in the pool — useful if you can't gather documents in time, but you risk not being invited again.

Common gotchas

• CRS lock-in. The CRS score that gets you the ITA is the one from your profile at the time of the draw. If you've claimed points you can't substantiate (e.g., work experience without a proper reference letter), the eAPR can be refused at the federal stage.
• Profile snapshot. Update your profile before the next draw, not after. Once you receive an ITA, the snapshot is locked.
• Document timeline. Medical exams take 1-3 weeks, police certificates can take 2-12 weeks depending on country, and biometrics scheduling varies. Prepare these in parallel as soon as you submit your profile, not after receiving the ITA.

See also

• Latest Express Entry draws — when ITAs are likely.
• Express Entry overview.