Key facts
- What an ITA is
- Permission to apply, not an approval
- Deadline
- Stated in the invitation itself — work to that date
- Declining
- Possible; the profile can normally return to the pool
- Evidence
- Everything declared in the profile must be supportable
- Application
- Submitted electronically (e-APR)
Last verified against official sources: 2026-09-21
Start here, calmly
The deadline is the constraint that matters. Read the invitation, note the date, and work backwards: the items that depend on other people — police certificates, employment reference letters, medical appointments — are started first. Items entirely within your control are done while you wait for those.
- Read the invitation and record the deadline.
- Confirm your profile information is still accurate — a change may affect whether you can proceed.
- Request police certificates for the countries that apply to you.
- Request employment reference letters from each employer being claimed.
- Book the immigration medical examination with a panel physician.
- Assemble civil status documents, identity documents and translations.
- Arrange proof of funds where your programme requires it.
- Complete and submit the application before the deadline.
Accepting or declining
An invitation can be declined. A candidate who knows they cannot evidence something in time, or whose circumstances have changed, may be better placed declining and returning to the pool than submitting an application that cannot be supported. That is a decision worth taking advice on rather than taking quickly.
Accuracy is not a formality
Information that cannot be supported, or that differs from what was declared, is treated seriously by IRCC and can have consequences well beyond a refusal. Where something is unclear, the answer is to document it, not to simplify it.
Documents usually needed
| Group | What it usually involves |
|---|---|
| Identity and civil status | Passports, birth certificates, marriage or divorce documents, children's documents |
| Language | The test report used in the profile, still valid |
| Education | The ECA report, where foreign education was claimed |
| Work experience | Reference letters covering duties, dates, hours and pay |
| Police certificates | One for each country where the relevant time was spent |
| Medical | An immigration medical examination by a panel physician |
| Funds | Evidence of settlement funds, where the programme requires it |
| Translations | For any document not in English or French |
The document list generated for your own application is the one that governs. The table above is preparation, not a substitute for it.
After you submit
- Biometrics may be requested, with instructions and a deadline.
- An officer may issue an additional document request during processing — these have their own deadlines.
- Keep your contact details current for the whole processing period.
- If approved, confirmation of permanent residence follows, and the landing process completes the move.
Common mistakes
- Starting police certificates late — they depend entirely on other authorities.
- Assuming an employer will produce a reference letter quickly.
- Submitting an application with a document missing in the hope of sending it later.
- Treating the invitation as the end of the process rather than the start of the application.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ITA the same as approval?
No. An invitation to apply allows you to submit an application for permanent residence. The application is then assessed on its own merits and may be approved or refused.
Can I decline an invitation?
Yes. A candidate who cannot support the application in time can decline, and the profile can normally return to the pool for the remainder of its validity.
What if my employer will not give me a reference letter?
Other evidence — contracts, pay records, tax documents, HR confirmations, promotion letters — can be used to support what a letter would have shown. It is not automatically accepted in place of a letter, so the more consistent the evidence, the better.
What to do next
- Write the deadline somewhere you will see it daily.
- Start police certificates and reference letters today.
- Book the medical examination.
- Work through the document list generated for your application.
- Have the package reviewed before you submit it if anything is unclear.
Your next steps
Continue in the order most people find useful, rather than a list of unrelated pages.