Regulation 88 — Express Entry — invitation to apply
Text of provision
(1) The definitions in this subsection apply in this Division.
agent[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
allocation period[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
approved fund[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
business experience[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
debt obligation[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
entrepreneur[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
entrepreneur selected by a province[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
former Regulations has the same meaning as in subsection 316(1). (ancient règlement)
full-time job equivalent[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
fund[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
investment[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
investor[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
investor selected by a province[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
language skill area means speaking, oral comprehension, reading or writing. (habileté langagière)
minimum net worth[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
net assets[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
net income[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
net worth[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
percentage of equity[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
provincial allocation[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
qualifying business[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
qualifying Canadian business[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
relevant experience, in respect of
(a) a self-employed person, other than a self-employed person selected by a province, means a minimum of two years of experience, during the period beginning five years before the date of application for a permanent resident visa and ending on the day a determination is made in respect of the application, consisting of
(i) in respect of cultural activities,
(ii) in respect of athletics,
(iii) in respect of the purchase and management of a farm, two one-year periods of experience in the management of a farm; and
(b) a self-employed person selected by a province, has the meaning provided by the laws of the province. (expérience utile)
self-employed person means a foreign national who has relevant experience and has the intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada and to make a significant contribution to specified economic activities in Canada. (travailleur autonome)
self-employed person selected by a province[Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
specified economic activities, in respect of
(a) a self-employed person, other than a self-employed person selected by a province, means cultural activities, athletics or the purchase and management of a farm; and
(b) a self-employed person selected by a province, has the meaning provided by the laws of the province. (activités économiques déterminées)
(2) and (3) [Repealed, SOR/2016-316, s. 4]
Plain English
Regulation 88 provides that the Minister may issue Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Express Entry pool through draws conducted at the Minister's discretion. The Minister determines the draw size, the minimum CRS score (the cutoff), and in category-based draws, the eligible category.
A candidate who receives an ITA has 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. Failure to submit within 60 days results in the ITA being cancelled and the candidate returning to the pool.
Practical effect
Express Entry draws are conducted by IRCC usually every two weeks and are published on the IRCC website. The draw date and minimum CRS score are public information. Candidates who receive an ITA must move quickly — 60 days to gather and submit all documents is a tight timeline, particularly for applicants who need police certificates or medical exams from multiple countries. Applicants should pre-assemble all documents before an ITA is received. Missing the 60-day window means the ITA is cancelled but the candidate can receive a new ITA in a future draw if their CRS remains competitive.