An ITA – Invitation to Apply is a document letter issued to applicants in the Express Entry pool who have a CRS score above the cut-off score determined in each draw. Only those candidates who received the ITA are allowed to apply for their permanent residence.

The ITA (invitation to apply) is sent by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) every time they conduct a new draw from the pool. Once an applicant receives an invitation to apply, they can settle in Canada with permanent resident status within months after applying.

Therefore, when you receive an ITA, it doesn’t mean you receive your Permanent Residence. However, before that, there are some essential steps you need to take to submit your application most professionally.

ITA Over The Years

Since the system was introduced in 2015, the number of ITA issued to Express Entry candidates has increased each year. And, the trend is continuing for the following years.

Find here the number of ITAs issued by IRCC for Express Entry applicants:

ITAs in 2017: 86,023.
ITAs in 2018: 89,800.
ITA in 2019: 85,300.

How To Obtain Your Invitation to Apply (ITA)?

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) ranks immigration candidates in the Express Entry pool based on the following criteria:

Human capital factors: age, level of education, language ability in French and English
Spouse or common-law partner human capital factors
Skill transferability factors: foreign work experience and language ability.
Additional factors: You can have a provincial nomination, a valid job offer, French language skills, studies in Canada, or a sibling who is a permanent resident.

To receive an invitation, you need to gain as many points as possible and meet the criteria under one of the following programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program.

What Happens If a Candidate is Eligible For More than one Express Entry Program

Suppose you meet the criteria for more than one program. Then, you will be invited to apply for just one program in the following order:

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)

Receiving Your Invitation to Apply (ITA)

IRCC issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates with the highest scores in the Express Entry pool. The round of the invitation process is also known as a “Draw.”

So, once your Express Entry profile is active and your CRS score is equal to or higher than the cut-off score, you will receive an ITA. It is essential to know that, for some draws, not all applicants with the required score received their ITA. It depends on the total number of ITA issued at that time.

Then, if you meet the score, you will receive a letter through your account. The ITA specifies:

The program that you should be submitting your application for
Your CRS score with a breakdown
The date when you should submit the electronic application for your permanent residence
Also, it guides you on the next steps you can take after receiving the ITA.

However, remember that an ITA is only valid for 60 days, and you can not extend the deadline. Therefore, we encourage candidates to prepare their supporting documents beforehand and scanning them in PDF format.

After Your Invitation To Apply

After accepting your ITA, you need to fill out the forms. Some of them are very similar to the ones you already upload for your Express Entry profile. But, you will need to provide more specific details.

Once you complete all the forms, a customized document checklist will appear to let you upload all the requirements documents IRCC is asking for. Remember, you have just 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence.