Preparing your documents in advance can help you meet the 60-day deadline to respond with your application for Canadian permanent residence after you receive an invitation to apply (ITA) through Canada’s Express Entry system. There are certain documents needed to respond to an Express Entry ITA, many of which need additional costs as well as vetting to obtain.
Failure to respond to your ITA with a complete application for permanent residence within the allotted time frame can lead to the expiration of your invitation.
Moreover, if your invitation expires, you will have to restart the Express Entry process if you still want to immigrate via one of the system’s programs.
What Documents Does One Need To Complete A PR Application?
In order to submit a complete PR application, most Express Entry candidates will need the following documents:
- Valid passport
- Birth certificate
- New language test results
- New Educational Credential Assessment reports
- Documentation proving claimed work experience
- Police clearance certificates
- Photographs of the principal candidate and accompanying family members
Note that if your ECA reports as well as language test results remain valid at the time you submit your application for PR, you do not need to acquire new ones.
Depending on your situation and the information in your Express Entry profile, as part of your application for PR through Express Entry, you may also require the following:
- Official transcript from post-secondary schooling completed
- Proof of settlement funds
- Receipt from an immigration medical exam
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates
- Certified copy of a certificate of qualification in a skilled trade profession issued by a Canadian provincial and territorial authority
- Copies of work contracts and/ or pay stubs
- Documents associated to income taxation
IRCC advises candidates to wait for the Canadian government’s request before completing their immigration medical exams, even though they are crucial for PR applications. This will take place after the submission of a candidate’s PR application.
In certain circumstances/ situations, if you submit your PR application from inside Canada and have completed an immigration medical exam in the past five years, you may be exempt from requiring to provide an immigration medical exam until October 5, 2029.
Costs Associated With Getting Documents
In addition to knowing the documents needed to respond to an Express Entry ITA, let us discuss the cost associated with getting these documents.
Well, not all required documents for a PR application necessarily have an associated cost. For those that do, the following table details typical prices to obtain these documents.
| Needed Documents | Associated Cost (CAD) |
| Language Test Results – English | |
| CELPIP | $290 + taxes |
| IELTS | $308 – $332 + taxes |
| Language Test Results – French | |
| TEF | $390 + taxes |
| TCF | |
| Receipt From Immigration Medical Exam | – Typically varies between $150–$200 depending on the healthcare provider, for those aged between 15 and 75 years. – Fees vary if the candidate is below 15 or above 75. – If follow-up visits/tests are required, these additional costs are the candidate’s responsibility and non-refundable |
| Police Clearance Certificates | Varies by country, typically between $25–$75 depending on the country and police station |
| Photograph of Principal candidates and Family | Varies by photography service; typically around $10–$20 depending on the number of people being photographed |
| Official Transcripts of Post-Secondary School | Can vary depending on the location and jurisdiction of the school. |
| Education Credential Assessment | $220 – $260 depending on the service and the number of credentials assessed. |
Why Does IRCC Need These Documents, And Who Must Submit Them?
The following table describes the reasons for which IRCC requests different documents.
Mandatory Documents For All Candidates:
| Document Type | Purpose Of The Document For IRCC Officers | Must Be Submitted On Behalf Of |
| Medical Exam Receipt | To assess the health of the candidate and their family members, and the potential medical cost they may incur in Canada | – The principal candidate – Accompanying spouse/common-law partner – Dependent children (including non-accompanying) |
| Police Certificates | To assess whether a candidate or their family members have a criminal record or pose any kind of security risk to Canadians | |
| Copy of the biographical data page of passport or travel document | To confirm the candidate’s identity | |
| Proof of work experience | To prove and validate that the candidate meets program requirements | |
| Digital photos | To confirm identity |
Mandatory For Candidates In These Situations:
| Document Type | Purpose of The Document For IRCC Officers | Must Be Submitted On Behalf Of |
| Copy of birth certificate or equivalent document (dependents) | To prove the dependent child’s relationship with the parent(s) | Dependent children, including any non-accompanying children |
| Proof of studies | To confirm education claims and ensure that the candidate meets program requirements | – The principal candidate – The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Provincial or territorial certificate of qualification | To validate the candidate’s claim of having a provincial or territorial certificate of qualification | – The principal candidate – The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Letter of job offer from the employer | To confirm an candidate’s qualifying offer of arranged employment, validate eligibility, and screen for fraud concerns | The principal candidate |
| Proof of funds | To confirm whether the candidate meets the low-income cut-off (LICO) based on their available funds and family size | The principal candidate, based on the total number of people in their family |
| Use of a Representative form [IMM 5476] | To verify the appointment of a representative to do business on behalf of the candidate and their family members | The principal candidate |
| Marriage certificate | To validate marital status claims and any associated eligibility or points allocation | The principal candidate |
| Evidence of a common-law union and cohabitation | To validate marital status claims and ensure eligibility has been calculated correctly | – The principal candidate – The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Divorce certificate and legal separation agreement | To validate marital status claims and ensure eligibility has been calculated correctly | – The principal candidate – The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Death certificate | To validate claims of death of a spouse or common-law partner | – The principal candidate |
| Adoption certificate | To validate claims that the dependent child has been adopted and to verify legal custody of the child | Dependent children, including non-accompanying children |
Other Documents:
In addition to having the documents needed to respond to an Express Entry ITA, there are other documents as well.
Note: This section is designated as ‘other’ within IRCC documentation because a reviewing IRCC officer might not necessarily designate a PR application as ‘incomplete’ (which can result in a return/ refusal of an application) if the documents are not up to specification (i.e., the reviewing officer cannot satisfy the purpose of asking for documentation, based on the information within the document itself).
| Document Type | Purpose Of The Document For IRCC Officers | Must Be Submitted On Behalf Of |
| Proof of relationship to a relative in Canada | To validate a claim and award points for: – Having a relative in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (FSWP adaptability points) – Having an adult brother or sister who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in Canada (CRS points) | – The principal candidate. – Their spouse or common-law partner |
| Other name | To confirm identity and aliases and screen for fraud concerns | – The principal candidate. – Their spouse or common-law partner. – Their dependent children, including non-accompanying children. |
| Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual [IMM 5475] | To appoint a designated individual to inquire about the application status and/or change the candidate’s address information | – The principal candidate. – Their spouse or common-law partner (if applicable). – Accompanying dependent children aged 18 or older. |
| Documents related to the e-APR not captured in other fields | To allow candidates to provide IRCC with additional information they feel is relevant to their application | – The principal candidate. – Their spouse or common-law partner. – Their dependent children. |
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