Canadian immigration document checklists

Choose your application

• Express Entry profile document checklistThe profile stage claims points; the application stage proves them. Everything you claim here should be backed by a document you can produce within the deadline that follows an invitation.
• Express Entry document checklist after an invitation to applyNothing claimed in the profile can be changed in a way that lowers your score. Everything claimed must now be proved.
• Study permit document checklistMost study permit refusals turn on funds and on the purpose of study, not on paperwork that was missing outright.
• Post-graduation work permit document checklistThe permit's length follows the length of the program completed, and the application must be made within the window after your final results are issued.
• Work permit document checklistWhich documents apply depends entirely on which of the three routes the permit rests on.
• Spousal sponsorship document checklistGenuineness is proved through consistent, dated, ordinary evidence — not through volume.
• Visitor visa document checklistA short, consistent, well-evidenced application is stronger than a large one.
• Super visa document checklistTwo households contribute documents. Most delays come from the Canadian side of the file, not the applicant's.
• Provincial Nominee Program document checklistEach province publishes its own document list, and those lists differ. Check the stream you are applying to before you gather anything.
• LMIA employer document checklistThe LMIA is assessed on the employer, not the worker. Recruitment evidence is where most applications are weakest.
• Canadian citizenship application document checklistCitizenship is assessed on days physically present in Canada, not on years since landing. Build the travel history first; every other document is easier once the presence calculation is settled.

How each checklist is organised

Generally required

Items nearly every applicant needs, whatever their situation.

Program-specific

Items that exist because of the particular application you are making.

Situation-dependent

Items that apply only if something is true of you — a spouse, children, time in Canada, a previous refusal. Each checklist lets you filter these to your own situation without giving any details to us.

May be requested

Items an officer can ask for even when they are not on the initial list.

Common questions

Are these the official IRCC document checklists?

No. These are preparation aids that group documents by how they apply. The requirements that govern an application are those on the official IRCC document checklist generated for that application at the time it is submitted.

Why are documents grouped instead of listed as one list?

Because most refusals and delays come from items that only apply in certain situations. Separating generally required items from program-specific, situation-dependent and may-be-requested items makes it clear what actually applies to you.

Do I need to give my details to use a checklist?

No. Every checklist is free to read and free to personalise. Contact details are only needed if you want a licensed RCIC to review your document plan.