Express Entry Documents Checklist: What You Need After an ITA

Express Entry Documents Checklist

There is no single identical Express Entry document checklist for every applicant. After you receive an Invitation to Apply and complete the online application form, IRCC generates a personalized document checklist based on your program, family composition and answers.

The central rule is straightforward: the information that made you eligible and produced your CRS score must be supported by reliable evidence when required. Documents must also establish identity, family relationships and admissibility.

Documents for Your Profile vs. Documents After an ITA

Creating an Express Entry profile is different from submitting a permanent residence application.

At the profile stage, candidates enter information from documents such as their passport, language results and, where applicable, Educational Credential Assessment. They generally do not upload the complete permanent residence evidence package at that stage.

After an ITA, the evidentiary burden changes. The applicant must complete the electronic permanent residence application and upload the supporting documents requested in the personalized checklist.

For the full sequence from profile creation through permanent residence, see How Does Express Entry Work?

Why Your Personalized Document Checklist Matters

IRCC states that the online system gives applicants a personalized document checklist after they complete the permanent residence application form.

This means a general online checklist should be used for preparation, not as a substitute for the checklist in the applicant's IRCC account.

Most applicants will need evidence covering several of the following areas:

• identity and travel documents;
• language test results;
• education and ECA, where applicable;
• qualifying work experience;
• police certificates;
• medical examination evidence;
• settlement funds, where required;
• marital status and family relationships;
• provincial nomination, where applicable;
• valid job-offer evidence, where relevant;
• documents supporting additional CRS points; and
• translations for documents not in English or French.

Passport and Identity Documents

A passport or travel document is among the core documents used in Express Entry.

IRCC currently advises applicants whose passport will expire within six months from the date they apply to renew it. If a new passport is issued, the passport information in the application should be updated.

Applicants should review passport details carefully, including:

• full legal name;
• date and place of birth;
• passport number;
• issue and expiry dates; and
• any relevant changes in identity or name.

Where an applicant has used another name or alias, the personalized checklist may require additional evidence confirming that identity.

Language Test Results

Express Entry applicants must prove official-language ability through an IRCC-approved test.

Current accepted tests include:

• CELPIP-General;
• IELTS General Training;
• PTE Core;
• TEF Canada; and
• TCF Canada.

The results entered in the Express Entry profile must correspond to the candidate's actual test results. Language results also need to remain valid under IRCC's rules when the permanent residence application is submitted.

To convert approved English and French test scores into their corresponding CLB or NCLC levels, use the Express Entry Language Test Score Converter .

Education Documents and Educational Credential Assessment

Applicants claiming education must be able to support the educational information used for program eligibility or CRS points.

For a completed foreign credential, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) may be required. An ECA used for Express Entry must be for immigration purposes and must meet IRCC's validity requirements.

Depending on the applicant's circumstances, education evidence can include:

• degree or diploma;
• educational credential documentation;
• ECA report for a foreign credential;
• Canadian educational credential, where Canadian education is being claimed; and
• supporting records required by the personalized checklist.

An ECA does not by itself prove every aspect of a candidate's educational history. Its Express Entry function is to establish the Canadian equivalency of a foreign educational credential for immigration purposes.

Work Experience Documents

Work experience is one of the most evidence-sensitive parts of many Express Entry applications. Applicants should be able to establish that the employment claimed satisfies the requirements of the program under which they were invited.

Employment evidence should normally establish the relevant facts, including:

• employer identity;
• position or positions held;
• employment dates;
• hours of work;
• compensation where relevant;
• main duties performed; and
• the relationship between those duties and the NOC occupation being claimed.

Job title alone is not enough

NOC classification should not be selected simply because an occupational title resembles the applicant's job title. The substantive duties performed are critical to assessing whether the claimed occupation is appropriate.

Applicants can use the NOC & TEER Finder as a research tool, but the final classification should be assessed against the official NOC description and the applicant's actual work.

When a standard reference letter is unavailable

A missing or incomplete employer letter does not make weak evidence strong merely because other documents are uploaded. Where standard evidence cannot reasonably be obtained, applicants should consider whether a coherent combination of independent records can establish the required facts and explain the documentary gap.

Proof of Funds

Proof of settlement funds is required for many applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program, subject to IRCC's exemptions. Canadian Experience Class applicants do not need to meet the settlement-fund requirement.

Where required, IRCC asks for official letters from financial institutions containing specific information, including account details, current balances and average balances for the preceding six months.

The amount required depends on family size and IRCC periodically updates the minimum thresholds.

See the dedicated Express Entry Proof of Funds guide for the current amounts and bank-letter requirements.

Police Certificates

Police certificates are required when applying for permanent residence through Express Entry.

IRCC's online system generally asks for a police certificate for the principal applicant and family members who are 18 years of age or older for each country in which the person stayed for six consecutive months or longer during the preceding 10 years.

IRCC does not require a certificate under this standard rule for:

• periods before the person turned 18; or
• time spent in Canada.

An officer can nevertheless request additional police certificates after the application is submitted.

Current country of residence

The police certificate for the country where the person currently lives must generally have been issued no more than six months before the permanent residence application is submitted.

Previous countries of residence

For another country, the certificate must generally have been issued after the last time the person stayed there for six consecutive months or longer.

Upload the correct copy

IRCC requires a colour scan of the original police certificate. Its current guidance states that certified true copies or unauthorized copies are not accepted and can result in rejection of the application.

Immigration Medical Examination

An immigration medical examination is a permanent residence requirement. Family members must also undergo a medical examination even when they are not accompanying the principal applicant to Canada.

If you have never completed an IME

IRCC's current Express Entry instructions state that an applicant who has never had an immigration medical exam should obtain one after receiving an ITA.

The examination must be completed through an IRCC panel physician. A regular family physician who is not an approved panel physician cannot perform the immigration medical examination for this purpose.

After the exam, the panel physician provides an information printout sheet or an IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report form. The applicable document is provided with the online application.

If you had a previous IME

IRCC currently states that some applicants living in Canada who completed an immigration medical examination for a previous application within the past five years may not need another examination when applying for permanent residence.

In that situation, IRCC instructs the applicant to provide the previous information sheet, IMM 1017B or IME number. If the previous results cannot be reused, IRCC will provide further medical instructions after submission.

Marriage, Children and Other Family Documents

Civil-status documents depend on the family information declared in the application.

IRCC identifies documents that most applicants may need, depending on their circumstances:

Family composition must remain accurate throughout the immigration process. Marriage, divorce, separation, birth, adoption or another material change should not be ignored simply because the Express Entry profile was created before the change occurred.

Job Offer Documents

IRCC removed CRS points for job offers on March 25, 2025. This does not mean that job-offer evidence has become irrelevant in every Express Entry application.

A valid job offer can still matter to certain program requirements and can be relevant to the proof-of-funds exemption for an applicant who is also authorized to work in Canada.

Where an applicant relies on a job offer for a legal or program requirement, the documents must establish that the offer satisfies the applicable IRCC definition. Simply uploading an employment letter does not automatically make an offer a “valid job offer” for Express Entry purposes.

Provincial Nomination Documents

An Express Entry candidate who accepts a qualifying nomination through an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program stream receives additional CRS points.

The federal permanent residence application must remain consistent with the nomination and with any continuing provincial requirements.

Provincial nomination should therefore be treated as more than a CRS score increase. The nomination and underlying circumstances must remain valid through the applicable stages of the application.

Translation Requirements for Express Entry Documents

A document that is not in English or French must be accompanied by the documentation required under IRCC's translation rules.

IRCC's current Express Entry instructions require an English or French translation and distinguish between translations prepared by certified and non-certified translators.

Certified translator

Where a certified translator is used, the translation must comply with IRCC's requirements. Stamps and seals appearing on the original document that are not in English or French must also be translated.

Affidavit requirements

Where an affidavit is required for a translation, the translator swears that the translation accurately represents the original document before a person authorized to administer the oath.

IRCC also restricts applicants and specified family members from acting in certain certification or affidavit roles for their own documents.

What If You Cannot Get a Required Document Before the Deadline?

The 60-day ITA period should not be treated as an automatic extension mechanism. Applicants should begin obtaining time-sensitive documents as early as possible.

IRCC provides a specific example for police certificates. If a required police certificate cannot be obtained by the deadline, an applicant may submit:

• a letter of explanation; and
• evidence showing the applicant made the best effort to obtain the certificate on time.

Examples identified by IRCC include a confirmation receipt, payment receipt, delivery notice, tracking number or an explanation from the issuing authority.

Acceptance is not automatic. An officer assesses the evidence, and IRCC states that an application may be rejected as incomplete if the officer is not satisfied that sufficient efforts were made.

Final Document Review Before Submitting Express Entry PR

A useful final review is not simply a check that every upload field contains a PDF. The application should be reviewed against the information and points that led to the ITA.

1. Confirm continued program eligibility

Make sure you still meet the requirements of the Express Entry program under which IRCC invited you.

2. Recalculate the CRS score where circumstances changed

Compare the facts at invitation with the information being submitted. A material change affecting the CRS score can matter if the resulting score would have been below the applicable invitation threshold.

The Express Entry CRS Calculator can be used for a preliminary recalculation.

3. Compare dates across the entire application

Employment, education, address and personal-history dates should be reviewed together. Contradictory dates can create unnecessary questions even where each individual document appears reasonable on its own.

4. Verify that every claimed factor is supported

Pay particular attention to work experience, education, language results, family relationships, nomination, settlement funds and any other factor relevant to eligibility or CRS.

5. Check translations and scan quality

Uploaded documents should be legible, complete and correctly translated where required.

6. Review the personalized checklist one final time

The checklist generated in the applicant's IRCC account is the operative checklist for that application. A general guide cannot replace it.

Express Entry Documents Checklist FAQs

Do I upload all my documents when creating an Express Entry profile?

No. The profile stage primarily involves entering the information needed to assess eligibility and ranking. The complete supporting-document stage follows an ITA when the permanent residence application is prepared.

How long do I have to submit my documents after an ITA?

An Express Entry ITA is valid for 60 days. The complete application must be submitted before the invitation expires.

Is there one Express Entry document checklist for everyone?

No. IRCC generates a personalized checklist after the applicant completes the online permanent residence application form.

Do I need a police certificate from Canada?

Under IRCC's standard Express Entry police-certificate instructions, applicants do not provide police certificates for time spent in Canada. IRCC can conduct Canadian background checks and may request additional information where necessary.

Do I need police certificates for periods before age 18?

Not under the standard Express Entry checklist rule. IRCC states that police certificates are not required for periods before the person was 18, although an officer can request additional certificates after submission.

Does every six-month visit require a police certificate?

The current standard rule concerns a stay of six consecutive months or longer in a country during the relevant 10-year period. Several separate shorter stays are not automatically treated as one continuous six-month stay under this checklist rule, although IRCC may request additional certificates.

Does my spouse need a medical exam if they are not accompanying me?

Generally, yes. IRCC states that family members must undergo an immigration medical examination even when they are not accompanying the principal applicant.

Can my regular doctor perform the immigration medical exam?

No. The immigration medical examination must be completed by an IRCC-approved panel physician.

Do I always need proof of funds?

No. Canadian Experience Class applicants are exempt, and certain FSWP or FSTP applicants who are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer are also exempt. Other FSWP and FSTP applicants generally need settlement funds.

Do I need an ECA for a Canadian degree?

An ECA is used to establish the Canadian equivalency of a foreign educational credential. A Canadian credential does not itself require an ECA for that purpose.

Can I submit documents that are not in English or French?

The original document must be accompanied by the translation and any other documentation required by IRCC's translation rules.

Can a letter of explanation replace a missing required document?

Not automatically. A letter can explain a documentary issue, but acceptance depends on the requirement, the evidence provided and IRCC's assessment. IRCC expressly permits supporting explanations and proof of best efforts in certain police-certificate situations, but even there acceptance is discretionary.

Can IRCC request more documents after submission?

Yes. The documents submitted with the application do not prevent IRCC from requesting additional or updated evidence during processing.