An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is a document offered to every candidate in the Express Entry pool, who has been selected to apply for Canada PR by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). An Invitation to Apply is issued on a priority basis under frequent Express Entry draws.
An ITA should not be confused with the initial eligibility to qualify for the Express Entry pool. The Invitation to Apply is an auto-generated letter issued to candidates eligible to apply for Canada PR Visa.
Obtaining an ITA
Only those candidates who are eligible to immigrate to Canada by meeting the requirements of a federal economic immigration program – may enter the Express Entry pool. This is where they are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS ranks candidates using the following components:
- Core Human Capital factors.
- Accompanying Spouse or Common-law partner factors (if applicable).
- Skill Transferability factors.
- Factors relating to a provincial nomination, arranged employment (job offer), previous study in Canada, having a sibling in Canada, or proof of French language proficiency.
There are a total of 1,200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
IRCC issues ITAs to certain candidates in the Express Entry pool according to their CRS scores by publishing a minimum CRS cut-off score at the time of the draw. Candidates with the highest scores are issued an ITA to apply for a Canada PR visa. Make sure to check eligibility for Canada PR beforehand.
What to do after receiving an ITA?
Documentation Required
All candidates who have received an ITA are then required to submit the following supporting documents along with their Canada PR application and processing fees.
- Valid passport
- Birth certificate
- Language test results
- Documentation attesting to work experience
- Police clearance certificate(s)
- Upfront medical receipt
- Photographs of the principal applicant and family members
Depending on the program under which the candidate has received an ITA, additional documentation may be required.
Misrepresentation
If the information provided by the Canada PR applicant turns out to be false (known as misrepresentation), there might be penalties. The purpose of the misrepresentation provisions is to make sure that candidates provide complete, honest, and accurate information when applying for entry into Canada. A potential candidate who has been found to have provided false information may be banned from re-entering the Express Entry pool for five years.
Accepting an ITA
The profile information provided by the candidate will be kept for 60 days after the Invitation to Apply is issued. Candidates will have 60 days to submit a complete and accurate application – along with the supporting documents. Because of the limited time period, candidates are advised to begin collecting documents beforehand. If a candidate misses the 60-day deadline, he/she will not be valid.
Once the documents are uploaded, candidates are given the option to submit an application. The option will not be accessible until all the fields are accounted for. Submitting a complete application is considered as the acceptance.
IRCC will process and determine the eligibility of the application within 6 months.
Expiration of an ITA
If no application is made by that time (60 days) – the ITA will be deleted. Candidates who do not decline an ITA and who do not apply within 60 days will see that the Invitation to Apply will expire.
At this point, candidates who still wish to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry will have to complete and submit a new Express Entry profile.
The best way to ensure your Canada PR application is processed as quickly as possible is to make sure that it is done right the first time. If you’re not thoroughly familiar with the process, it is advisable to work alongside the best immigration consultants in Delhi.
Good Luck!