How to Prepare and Submit an Express Entry Application for an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

Submitting your Express Entry application is a huge step in your journey to permanence residence. While there are a few steps to the Express Entry process, probably the most important one is preparing and submitting your documents. Once you’ve received an ITA for Express Entry, you can prepare your documentation and get ready to submit them – read below to learn more!

Preparing Your Documents

Once you are invited to apply, you will have 60 days to submit your application. Because of this, you may want to get started on some/all documentation ahead of time, so you aren’t in a rush preparing your documents. 

Below are the documents that may take longer than a week or two that we suggest looking into ahead of time, but keep in mind that requirements may change depending on your situation/family members included in your application:

1.  Medical Exams:

A medical examination is required up front and must be valid at the time of the application for you and family members if included (spouse/common-law partner/dependent children). 

Keep in mind that the results are only valid for 12 months and must be valid when you arrive in Canada – for this reason, it’s usually best to wait for your Invitation to Apply, otherwise a delay in your invitation and/or processing can lead to your exam expiring before you land in Canada.

Note that the medical exam must be done with an authorized physician. To learn more or book an exam with an authorized physician, head to the Immigration Canada website here.

2. Police certificates:

Police certificates are required upfront and are mandatory for each country (except Canada) where you have spent 6 months or more in a row within the last 10 years. You do not need to provide one for any period before the age of 18.

For countries you no longer live in, the police certificate must have been issued after the last time you stayed in that country for 6 months or more in a row.

These must be included for you and all family members included in your application. 

To find out how to get the police certificate for the countries you’ve lived in for more than 6 months in the last 10 years, head to this link here.

3. Proof of work experience:

A reference or experience letter from each previous employer, which: 

• should be an official document printed on company letterhead (must include the applicant’s name, the company’s contact information [address, telephone number and email address], and the name, title and signature of the immediate supervisor or personnel officer at the company),
• should indicate all positions held while employed at the company and must include the following details: job title, duties and responsibilities, job status (if current job), dates worked for the company, number of work hours per week and annual salary plus benefits.
• If the work experience is in Canada, proof may include copies of T4 tax information slips and notices of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (the time period for these documents should reflect the work experience timeframe
• If the applicant is self-employed, articles of incorporation or other evidence of business ownership, evidence of self-employment income and documentation from third-party individuals indicating the service provided along with payment details (self-declared main duties or affidavits are not acceptable proof of self-employed work experience).

These must be included for you and your spouse/common-law partner if you are receiving points for their work experience in Canada. 

To make this even easier, we created a template reference letter you can use:

Click here for our free reference letter template

4. Proof of funds:

You should provide an official letter(s) from one or more financial institutions that lists all current bank and investment accounts as well as outstanding debts, such as credit card debts and loans.

The letter(s) must be printed on the letterhead of the financial institution and must include your name, the contact information of the financial institution (address, telephone number and email address), the account numbers, the date each account was opened and the current balance of each account as well as the average balance for the past six months.

Note that if applying alone, you will need to prove you have at least $13,213 CAD. For every additional family member, you’ll need another ~$3,000. You can find the exact amounts and more details on Proof of Funds here. 

Note: Proof of funds are not required if you were invited to apply under the Canadian Experience Class.

Translating Documents

If a document is in a language other than English or French, you must provide a version translated by a certified translator, including an affidavit from the person who completed the translations and a certified photocopy of the original document. 

Get your documents professionally translated or notarized from our trusted partners here!

Sometimes the documentation requirements can be very confusing, or maybe you just want a professional to look them over before you apply. If this is the case, consider our application review package on our Help from an Expert page.

Submitting Your Application 

If you have all of your documentation ready, here’s what to do and know for submitting your application!

When You’re Ready to Submit

Once you receive your ITA, you’ll have a custom list of documents to upload as part of your application (many of which we discussed above). You have 60 days to do so and submit the application (with applicable filing fees). 

Fees and Costs

The government filing fees for Express Entry include the following:

Main applicant: $1,325

Spouse: $1,325

Per dependent child: $225

Biometric fee: $85 if alone, $170 if including family members

The key to a smooth application process is to understand what is required of you ahead of time. That way, you can prepare the paperwork you need. As you can see from above, some documents expire within a short time so preparing ahead will allow you to anticipate these deadlines before they become a huge inconvenience. 

If you’re looking to get started on the Express Entry process for free, or need more help, make sure to signup here to the Visto platform to learn more.