ITA stands for “Invitation To Apply for Canada PR Visa.” In this article, You will know the step by step about Canada ITA Process. What is an ITA? What to do once you receive the ITA? When you decline the ITA or not respond?
What is Canada ITA Process?
ITA if the abbreviation of “Invitation To Apply.” It is a legal document issued by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) to only those Express Entry pool candidates who have been shortlisted through the draw to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
By receiving an ITA, it does not mean that the candidate has obtained the permanent citizenship of Canada. It merely says that the candidate has moved a step closer to the immigration process and that it shall take a maximum of 6 months for the candidate to receive permanent residency in Canada.
How to get an Invitation to Apply?
If the applicant is found to be eligible for immigration under various immigration programs, the candidate is offered the ITA and Go for Canada ITA Process in only one of them in the following priority sequence :
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, then.
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program.
What to do once you receive the ITA for Canada PR Visa?
Express entry program for immigration to Canada is the fastest and the most natural process to settle in Canada permanently.
Canada ITA Process has the lowest processing time as compared to the other traditional immigration methods and makes it hassle-free for any foreign national to apply for the permanent citizenship of Canada.
In the specific entry program, the candidates are required to check their eligibility and then apply by duly filling and submitting the online application. The applications received are thoroughly tested for accuracy, and the data is verified and validated.
Each candidate’s application is then allotted a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score by the details that have been mentioned in the application.
Their CRS scores rank the applicants in the express entry pool. The top position holders are then selected through the results of a draw and invited to apply for immigration to Canada.
Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA):
If an applicant has an active Express Entry profile and earns a CRS score more than the minimum CRS cut-off, he/she makes an entry into the express entry pool of candidates that are eligible for the ITA draw.
The candidates shortlisted via the draw then receive ITA and can go for Canada ITA Process via their online Express Entry account only. The ITA mentions the program for which the candidate’s application has been accepted and his/her CRS score as well.
It also says the last date by which the candidate must submit their online form for permanent citizenship of Canada. The applicant can read a detailed note about the process and the next steps that the applicant must fulfill after receiving the ITA.
The ITA offered to a candidate has a validity of 60 days only. This time duration cannot be extended under any circumstances. Within this period, the candidate is required to get his documents verified and also apply for permanent residency.
Thus, as soon as the candidate makes it to the selected pool of candidates in the Express Entry Program, he/she shall start collecting all the necessary documents. Then once he/she receives the ITA, he/she is required to showcase all relevant documents as mentioned in the Express Entry online application.
Failure to present the desired set of documents or in-case of a missing paper or failure of verification, the candidate’s application is immediately rejected.
Visit for: Assessment From, EXPRESS ENTRY PROGRAM
Accepting / Declining / Expiration of Canada ITA Process:
Once the applicant receives an ITA, he has a choice to either accept or decline it. The candidate is willing to accept the ITA must do so electronically within 90 days.
There are three essential scenarios, let us discuss your course of action in each of these below:
1. When you accept the ITA:
If you plan to take the ITA for Canadian PR, you must submit your application within 60 days of receiving the ITA. You must fill and submit your application well within the deadline as last-minute hurries may lead to an unpleasant experience.
Also, the server may face extreme load and cease to work on the last dates of submission.
2. When you decline the ITA:
If you, for some reason, cannot accept the ITA or are unable to collect all relevant documents for verification, you must make sure you decline the ITA within 60 days of receiving it.
By doing so, you shall be pushed back to the Express Entry Pool of candidates and shall again hold a fair chance to acquire the ITA in the next draw.
3. When you do not respond:
You must either accept or decline the ITA as failure to do so will expire your Express Entry Profile, and you will no longer hold the next chance to receive ITA.
If you plan to re-apply, you will have to create a fresh new Express Entry profile for immigration to Canada.
What is the next step after receiving ITA from Canada for PR Visa?
Once you decide to apply, you will be presented with a few forms which are very similar to those that you had filled while creating your Express Entry Profiles.
These forms shall ask you to enter more personal details like address history and travel history for the last ten years or from your 18th Birthday.
These forms accept a maximum of 30 entries for your travel or address history, and this can become tedious for those who have traveled a lot in the last few years. If you have more than 30 entries, you must fill the Letter of Explanation (LoE) and include a table mentioning all details.
Once you complete the forms, you will have to upload scanned copies of all desired documents to complete the application.
Declination of ITA (Invitation to Apply).
If for some reason, the candidate declines the ITA, that candidate’s application is pushed back to the Express Entry Pool of candidates. If the candidate’s Express Entry Profile continues to meet the eligibility requirements and has a valid CRS score, he/she shall again be considered for the future ITA draws.
What if the Candidate Decides to Decline the ITA?
There are some steps of action that the candidate must take if he/she decides to decline the ITA :
- If the candidate had received additional points for a job offer that has somehow got canceled, they are then required to look for another one.
- The candidates must update their Express Entry profiles if they get into a joint law partner settlement or get married.
If the candidate fails to accept or decline the application within 60 days of receiving the ITA, the ITA automatically expires and so does the candidate’s express entry profile.
The candidate will then have to start afresh by creating a new Express Entry Profile and resubmitting all desired documents and details. The candidate’s profile will re-enter the pool only if the CRS score is above the minimum threshold.
Not Receiving the Invitation to Apply(ITA)?
To receive the ITA, the candidate must wait for at least one year from when his/her Express Entry Profile was approved. A candidate must timely keep a check on their Express Entry Profiles after Canada ITA Process.
If one does not receive an ITA in 12 months from when they made it to the Express Entry Pool, their profile will automatically expire.
The candidate is informed of their profile’s expiry in their online account itself.
Must read: Other important PNP programs before applying for the Canada pr visa: PNP PROGRAM Ontario PNP Alberta PNP British Columbia PNP Manitoba PNP Quebec PNP Saskatchewan PNP Nova Scotia PNP New Brunswick PNP.