Invitation to Apply
Statutory definition
(1) A foreign national who seeks to enter or remain in Canada as a member of a class that is referred to in an instruction given under paragraph 10.3(1)(a) may make an application for permanent residence only if the Minister has issued them an invitation to do so, the invitation has not been cancelled under subsection 10.2(5) and the applicable period specified in an instruction given under paragraph 10.3(1)(k) has not expired.
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27, s 10.1(1)
Explanation
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is issued to a candidate in the Express Entry pool whose Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score meets or exceeds the cut-off score in a given draw. Receipt of an ITA is a precondition to submitting an application for permanent residence under any Express Entry-managed program — a foreign national cannot apply without one.
An ITA is personal and non-transferable. It is issued electronically through the candidate's IRCC online account and specifies the class under which the invitation is issued and the deadline for submitting the permanent residence application.
How this term is used
A candidate who receives an ITA has 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application with all required documentation, including police certificates, medical examination results, language test results, educational credential assessments, and proof of funds. An ITA may be cancelled by IRCC under IRPA s 10.2(5) if the candidate misrepresented information in their Express Entry profile. Failure to submit within the 60-day window results in the ITA lapsing; the candidate may return to the pool if still eligible.