IRCC reduces Express Entry permanent residence application deadline to 60 days

Express Entry candidates who receive an Invitation to Apply, or ITA, for Canadian permanent residence will now only have 60 calendar days to submit their complete electronic application, the Government of Canada announced Tuesday.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the revised deadline will only apply to Express Entry candidates who receive an ITA after June 26, 2018. The previous deadline of 90 days will still apply for candidates who received an ITA prior to June 26, 2018.

Express Entry is the application system that manages the pool of candidates for Canada's three main economic immigration classes — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates in the three classes can submit a profile to the Express Entry pool, which are assigned a ranking score under Express Entry's Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRS.

The highest-ranked candidates are issued an ITA in regular invitation rounds from the Express Entry pool.

Once an ITA is received, candidates have a specified period of time in which to substantiate their profiles by way of supporting documentation and submit a complete electronic application, or e-APR.

The e-APR and all supporting documents now must be submitted through the applicant's online Express Entry account within this new 60-calendar day period.

As with the previous 90-calendar day deadline, the 60 calendar days begin once the ITA has been received.

To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment form.

90-day deadline responded to client concerns that 60 days was too short

In a report published in December 2017, IRCC said 41 per cent of Express Entry candidates who received an ITA after November 2016 submitted their application between 61 to 90 days.

Only 57 per cent submitted their complete application between 1 and 60 days after receiving their ITA.

In the 11 months prior to November 2016, when the deadline was increased from 60 to 90 days, 90 per cent of Express Entry candidates who received an ITA submitted their applications within the 60 day deadline.

When IRCC increased the deadline to 90 days in November 2016, it said the change responded to client concerns that 60 days to submit a complete application was not enough time.

David Cohen, senior partner at the Campbell Cohen immigration law firm in Montreal, said the revised deadline reinforces the importance of preparing your documents in advance of receiving an ITA.

"Don't wait until you receive an ITA to begin getting your documents in order," he said. "Allowing yourself more time also can help you avoid costly mistakes in your application."

IRCC said its six-month processing standard remains unchanged and begins when the application is assessed as complete and promoted in IRCC's Global Case Management System.

To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment form.

The CRS Calculator

The CRS Calculator allows you to find out what your score would be under the CRS.

Tips for improving your CRS score

There are a number of ways Express Entry candidates may be able to improve their ranking. Visit this dedicated page to learn strategies for improving your CRS score.