Preparing your documents early helps you meet the 60-day deadline to respond with your application for permanent residence after you obtain an invitation to apply (ITA) through Canada’s Express Entry system. There are certain documents required to respond to an ITA via Express Entry, many of which require additional costs and vetting to obtain.
Failure to respond to your ITA with a complete application for permanent residence within the allotted time frame can result in the expiration of your invitation.
If your invitation expires, you will be required to restart the Express Entry process if you still want to immigrate through 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 applicants will require 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 applicant and accompanying family members
Note that if your ECA reports and 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, 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
Note that though immigration medical exams are a necessary part of PR applications for those that require them, IRCC advises applicants only to get their exams done once asked to by the Canadian government. This will occur after the submission of an applicant’s PR application.
In certain circumstances, if you submit your PR application from inside Canada and have completed an immigration medical exam in the past five years, you might be exempt from needing to provide an immigration medical exam until October 5, 2029.
Costs Associated With Getting Documents
In addition to knowing the documents required to respond to an ITA via Express Entry, let us know about the cost associated with getting these documents.
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 applicant is below 15 or above 75. – If follow-up visits/tests are required, these additional costs are the applicant’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 Applicants 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 Applicants:
| Document Type | Purpose Of The Document For IRCC Officers | Must Be Submitted On Behalf Of |
| Medical Exam Receipt | To assess the health of the applicant and their family members, and the potential medical cost they may incur in Canada | – The principal applicant
– Accompanying spouse/common-law partner – Dependent children (including non-accompanying) |
| Police Certificates | To assess whether an applicant 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 applicant’s identity | |
| Proof of work experience | To prove and validate that the applicant meets program requirements | |
| Digital photos | To confirm identity |
Mandatory For Applicants 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 applicant meets program requirements | – The principal applicant
– The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Provincial or territorial certificate of qualification | To validate the applicant’s claim of having a provincial or territorial certificate of qualification | – The principal applicant
– The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Letter of job offer from the employer | To confirm an applicant’s qualifying offer of arranged employment, validate eligibility, and screen for fraud concerns | The principal applicant |
| Proof of funds | To confirm whether the applicant meets the low-income cut-off (LICO) based on their available funds and family size | The principal applicant, 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 applicant and their family members | The principal applicant |
| Marriage certificate | To validate marital status claims and any associated eligibility or points allocation | The principal applicant |
| Evidence of a common-law union and cohabitation | To validate marital status claims and ensure eligibility has been calculated correctly | – The principal applicant
– 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 applicant
– The accompanying spouse/common-law partner |
| Death certificate | To validate claims of death of a spouse or common-law partner | – The principal applicant |
| 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 required to respond to an ITA via Express Entry, there are other significant 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 applicant.
– Their spouse or common-law partner |
| Other name | To confirm identity and aliases and screen for fraud concerns | – The principal applicant.
– 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 applicant’s address information | – The principal applicant.
– 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 applicants to provide IRCC with additional information they feel is relevant to their application | – The principal applicant.
– Their spouse or common-law partner. – Their dependent children. |
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