How long do I have after receiving an ITA?

You have 60 calendar days from the date the ITA is issued to submit a complete permanent residence application through the IRCC portal. If the deadline passes without a submission, the ITA expires and your profile returns to the Express Entry pool. There is no extension.

Can I decline an ITA and stay in the pool?

Yes. Declining (or letting an ITA lapse) returns your profile to the pool with no penalty. However, you will only receive another ITA if your CRS score meets or exceeds the cut-off in a future draw. If your score is borderline, declining carries a real risk of not being re-invited.

What if my documents aren't ready within 60 days?

Some documents — police certificates from certain countries, medical exams, or updated ECAs — can take weeks. If a document won't be ready in time, you may need to let the ITA lapse and re-enter the pool rather than submitting an incomplete application. We help you assess whether to proceed or wait.

Do you submit the application for me?

This review service checks and prepares your file. Submission through IRCC's portal is done by you unless we are separately engaged as your authorized representative under a signed Use of Representative form (IMM 5476). The review itself does not include representation.

What happens if the officer finds an issue after I submit?

The officer may issue an additional document request, a procedural fairness letter, or a refusal. Our review is designed to minimize the chance of any of these by catching the issues officers typically flag — but the final decision always rests with IRCC.

Is this service only for CEC applicants?

No. The review covers applications under any Express Entry program — Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades — as well as PNP-stream ITAs processed through Express Entry.

After the ITA

Express Entry ITA Application Review

An ITA gives you 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. We review every section of that application — eligibility, documents, work experience narratives, and supporting evidence — before you press submit. The officer makes the final decision; our job is to make sure the file gives them no reason to refuse.

Short answer

An Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA) gives candidates 60 calendar days to submit a full permanent residence application through IRCC's online portal. The application must demonstrate that the candidate meets every eligibility requirement of the program they were invited under (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades) and that the information in their Express Entry profile was accurate. Common refusal triggers include work-experience letters that don't match the NOC/TEER duties claimed, missing police certificates, inadequate proof of funds, and language-test scores that have expired. An RCIC application review identifies these gaps before submission so the candidate can correct them while the 60-day window is still open.

Book a Review See the process

Who it's for

Express Entry candidates who received an ITA and want a professional review before submitting
Candidates whose CRS profile included work experience under multiple NOC codes
Applicants relying on foreign credentials that need an ECA and want to confirm the assessment aligns with what the profile claimed
Candidates with a previous Express Entry refusal who received a new ITA and need to ensure the earlier issues are resolved
Principal applicants including a spouse or dependents whose documents also need review
Candidates who self-prepared their application but want an RCIC to verify completeness before the 60-day deadline

Common scenarios

First ITA — want to get it right the first time

You've never gone through the PR application stage before. We walk through every section of the portal, flag missing or weak documents, and confirm that your evidence matches what your profile promised to the system.

Second ITA after a previous refusal

Your first application was refused or returned. We review the refusal reasons (and GCMS notes where available), identify exactly what needs to change, and make sure the new submission addresses every issue the officer raised.

Complex work-experience narrative

You held multiple roles, changed employers, or worked part-time across overlapping periods. We verify that your employment letters, pay records, and NOC/TEER classifications tell a consistent, provable story that matches your CRS profile.

Evidence checklist

ITA confirmation and Express Entry profile details
Passport (current and any expired passports used during reference period)
Language test results (IELTS General or CELPIP — must be valid at time of submission)
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report
Employment reference letters for every qualifying work-experience period
Pay stubs, T4s, tax returns, or contracts supporting each employment period
Police certificates from every country lived in 6+ months since age 18
Proof of funds (bank statements, investment statements, or GIC for FSW/FST applicants)
Marriage certificate and spouse's documents (if applicable)
Digital photos meeting IRCC specifications
Provincial nomination certificate (if PNP-stream ITA)
Medical exam confirmation (IME) — or scheduled appointment before submission

Exact requirements vary by program and profile — treat this as a planning baseline, not advice on your specific file.

Process overview

Profile verification

We compare every claim in your Express Entry profile against the supporting evidence you have. If anything doesn't match — a NOC code, an education level, a language score — we flag it before submission so you can correct the profile or gather the right proof.

Document audit

Each required document is checked for completeness, formatting, validity dates, and alignment with IRCC's current checklist. Missing documents and documents that don't meet IRCC's requirements are flagged with specific instructions on what to obtain or fix.

Work-experience review

Employment letters are reviewed against the NOC/TEER duties your profile relies on. We verify hours, job titles, duty descriptions, and reference-period math to ensure the experience claimed is fully supported and consistent across all evidence.

Final review and submission guidance

Once every section is addressed, we provide a final checklist confirming the application is ready for submission. You submit through your own IRCC account — we do not submit on your behalf unless engaged under a separate representation agreement.

Risks & common mistakes

Submitting with expired language scores

IELTS and CELPIP results are valid for two years from the test date. We verify the expiry date against your expected submission date — if scores expire before you submit, the application is returned and your ITA may lapse.

Employment letters that don't match the NOC duties claimed

A generic reference letter that lists only a job title without specific duties is the single most common gap. We compare each letter line-by-line against the lead statement and main duties in your claimed NOC/TEER code.

Inconsistencies between the profile and the application

The profile locks in what you claimed for points. If the application evidence contradicts it — a different salary, a different job title, fewer months of experience — the officer can refuse for misrepresentation. We cross-check every field.

Missing police certificates for countries lived in 6+ months

Applicants often forget countries they transited through for work or study. We review your travel and residence history against IRCC's police-certificate requirements so nothing is missed.

Related pathways

Express Entry — CEC Permanent Residence CRS Calculator

Explore this topic further

Related pages that go deeper on specific routes and situations within this topic.

Express Entry — CEC Permanent Residence OINP & PNP CRS Calculator Refusal Review

Frequently asked questions

Next step

Get your ITA application reviewed before you submit.

Every file starts with an honest assessment: what you qualify for, what the evidence needs to show, and what the realistic timeline looks like. We prepare the strongest possible application — and we're direct with you about risk, because the final decision on every application rests with the officer, never with us.

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