Applications for permanent residence programs subject to the Express Entry completeness check

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

New application deadline

If you receive an invitation to apply on or after June 29, 2021, you must submit your application for permanent residence within 60 days.

As of October 1, 2023, upfront medical examinations are no longer required at the time of application for Express Entry. The processing office should not reject these applications as incomplete. Applicants will be asked to await further instruction as to when an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) will be required.

Requirement to submit a complete electronic application

• the e-APR
• the cost recovery fees
• all supporting documentation to validate information contained in the applicant’s Express Entry profile and e-APR

In exceptional circumstances, processing offices may be flexible in accommodating these requirements where delays occur outside the control of applicants. See the document checklist below for details.

Each application under Express Entry should be considered on its own merit, with a final decision based on a review of all the information available to the IRCC officer at the time of the decision.

Incomplete applications

If an application is found to be incomplete, the processing office must reject the application by

• promoting and then cancelling the application in GCMS with the application status reason listed as “incomplete application”;
• noting in GCMS the reason(s) for rejecting the application; and
• repaying all fees associated with the application (e.g., the cost recovery fee and the right of permanent residence fee, as applicable).

When an application is rejected as incomplete, the applicant must submit a new Express Entry profile through their online account to be considered for any future rounds of invitations.

Document checklist

A personalized document checklist is produced for each applicant when they submit their e-APR through their online account. The personalized checklist identifies the specific supporting documents required from each family member included on the application.

Translation of documents

If a supporting document is in a language other than English or French, the applicant must provide IRCC with

• an English or French translation stamped by a certified translator or accompanied by an affidavit from the person who completed the translation, if it is not possible to have the translation done by a certified translator
• The translation package should include a copy the original source document that was used by the translator, and the translation of all contents of the original document in either English or French. Both the source document and the translation must either be stamped by the translator or referred to in the affidavit
• a scan of the original document, or a scan of a certified photocopy of the original document

Mandatory documents for all applicants

The following documents are mandatory and must be provided by all applicants.

Applications that do not contain the following documents will be rejected as incomplete, and fees will be refunded accordingly.

Medical examination confirmation

Purpose

To assess the health of the applicant and their family members

Document requirements – Applications received before October 1, 2023:

• The medical examination confirmation is required up front and must be valid at the time of application.
• The applicant must include the immigration medical examination (IME) number in their e-APR.
• The applicant must provide a copy of either the information printout sheet or the Upfront Medical Report form [IMM 1017B, whichever the panel physician provides upon completion of the medical examination.
• Applicants are encouraged to undergo medical examinations closer to the date their application is submitted to avoid processing delays.
• Exceptions are made only in rare circumstances that are outside of the client’s control (e.g., cancellation of the appointment by the panel physician at the last minute without time to reschedule).

In exceptional circumstances, IRCC may accept

• proof that a medical appointment is scheduled or
• a letter of explanation of best efforts

However, these are not a guarantee of acceptance.

Document requirements – Applications received on or after October 1, 2023:

• Express Entry applicants are no longer required to complete and submit an upfront medical examination (UFM) at the time of application submission, and applicants will be asked to await further instruction as to when an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) is required.
• If applicants have previously completed an IME, they will be asked to include a copy in the pre-existing upload field for IMEs. Applicants who have never completed an IME will be instructed to upload a blank document.
• If no IME was provided, processing offices should conduct an integrated search for any previously completed IMEs, and associate the IME to the application accordingly.
• Processing offices should then review and apply the temporary public policy (TPP), if the applicant is eligible.
• If no IME is found, and the TPP cannot be applied, instructions to undergo an IME should be sent to the applicant.

Individuals who must submit this documentation

• the principal applicant
• their spouse or common-law partner
• their dependent children, including non-accompanying

Police certificates

Purpose

To determine if the applicant or their family members have a criminal record or poses a security risk to Canada

Document requirements

According to the requirements below, the system will generate upload fields for the police certificates required in the document checklist using the personal history, travel history and address history provided by the applicant. However, it is always at an officer’s discretion to request a new or additional police certificate from the applicant. Applicants may also provide additional police certificates in the letter of explanation field.

• For the applicant’s current country of residence, the police certificate must have been issued no more than 6 months before the submission of the e-APR.
• For countries in which the applicant no longer resides, the police certificate must have been issued after the last time the applicant stayed in that country for 6 months or more in a row.
• Police certificates meeting the above requirements can be accepted even if they have an expiry date that has passed.
• This includes the requirement to provide a police certificate for countries in which the individual has travelled for 6 months or more in a row, whether or not the individual had an established residential address during this time.
• Police certificates are required upfront and are mandatory for each country (except Canada) where an individual has spent 6 months or more in a row within the last 10 years. The individual does not need to provide one for any period of time before the age of 18.
• Police certificates need to be a scan of the original police certificate(s) in colour. Certified true copies and unauthorized copies are unacceptable and will result in the application being rejected as incomplete.

Applications that do not include a required police certificate and do not provide supporting documentation where required will be rejected as incomplete.

The officer can exercise discretion when assessing whether police certificates that do not fall within standard IRCC parameters may still be required to process the application. When necessary, an officer can use discretion in their determination of whether or not a client is admissible to Canada by using other documents or mechanisms that are available to them.

Some countries will not issue police certificates to applicants, and instead will only communicate directly with the relevant Canadian authorities. In such cases, existing IRCC procedures to obtain documentation should be followed.

The IRCC website provides instructions to applicants on Where to obtain a police certificate.

In exceptional circumstances, IRCC may accept both of the following:

• proof of having requested a police certificate for some countries; and
• an explanation of best efforts (not a guarantee of acceptance)
  • In this explanation, the applicant should explain the delay in a document and upload the document in the country-specific field. The uploaded document must show that the applicant requested a police certificate as soon as possible after receiving their invitation to apply.

  In such exceptional cases, the client will be advised to upload a document into the upload field stating country-specific details that support their explanation of best efforts.

  Individuals who must submit this documentation

  • The principal applicant
  • Their spouse or common-law partner
  • Their dependent children 18 years of age or older, including non-accompanying