Express Entry9 min read
Canada PR With a Low CRS Score: 6 Realistic Routes in 2026
A low CRS score isn't the end. French NCLC 7, provincial nominations, pilots that skip the CRS and smarter profiles can get you to PR in 2026.
Express Entry checklist
What to do after an Express Entry ITA: your 60-day checklist
You have 60 days from your invitation to submit a complete permanent residence application. Here is the order to do things in, every document by stage, the fees IRCC lists today, and what happens after you press submit.
- A week-by-week plan for your 60 days
- Every document, grouped by stage
- IRCC fees, checked on the official fee list
- AOR, biometrics, medicals and COPR explained
Download free PDF
PDF · free · no sign-upChecked October 6, 2026
Quick answer
After an Express Entry ITA you have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence online. In the first week, check your score is still correct and start the slow documents: police certificates, an upfront medical exam and employer reference letters. Then fill in the forms, upload clear scans of everything on your personal checklist, pay the fees and submit before the deadline. If your score has dropped below the round's cut-off, decline instead.
The 60-day deadline cannot be extended
IRCC says your invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only. If you do not submit or decline in time, the invitation expires and your profile is removed from the pool: you would need a new profile and a new invitation. Start the documents that depend on other people (police, employers, the medical clinic) in the first week.
What to do after an ITA: the timeline
A realistic order of work. Timings are a guide, not IRCC deadlines, except the 60 days.
Day 0
Read the invitation and recheck your score
Open the application in your account and confirm every profile answer is still true: test results still valid, work experience, education, family. If your recalculated score is now below the lowest score in your round, IRCC says you should decline. Use the CRS calculator to check.
Days 1–7
Start the slow documents
Request police certificates for every country that needs one, book an upfront medical exam with an IRCC panel physician, and ask employers for reference letters. These take the longest and depend on other people.
Weeks 2–4
Fill in the forms and collect the rest
Complete the online forms with no gaps in your personal history. Gather identity, civil status, education and funds documents. Get certified translations for anything not in English or French.
Weeks 5–7
Upload and fix the gaps
Upload each document to the matching slot on your personal checklist. Where something is missing or delayed, upload proof you requested it plus a letter of explanation.
Before submitting
Check, pay and submit
Compare every date and name with your passport and your profile. Pay the processing fee, the right of permanent residence fee and the biometrics fee, then submit well before day 60. Save the confirmation.
After submitting
Acknowledgement of receipt and biometrics
IRCC confirms in your account that it is reviewing your application and sends a biometrics instruction letter if you need to give them. You have 30 days from the date on that letter to give your fingerprints and photo.
During processing
Medicals, updates and extra requests
If you did not do an upfront medical exam, or IRCC cannot use your old results, it sends instructions. Tell IRCC through its web form about any change: a marriage, a birth, a new job, a new address or new test results.
If approved
Passport request and COPR
If you need a permanent resident visa, IRCC asks for your passport. Only send it to a visa application centre after you get that request. You then receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Check it against your passport and travel before it expires: it cannot be extended.
Documents after ITA: checklist by stage
Your account generates a personal document checklist. Use it as the final word: this list helps you plan. For the full picture of each document, see the Express Entry document checklist.
0 of 18 done
Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Express Entry fees after ITA
Amounts in Canadian dollars, read on IRCC's fee list on the date at the bottom of this page. Fees change: check the fee list before you pay.
| Who | Fee (CAD) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Principal applicant | $1,590 | Processing fee ($990) plus right of permanent residence fee ($600) |
| Spouse or partner | $1,590 | Processing fee ($990) plus right of permanent residence fee ($600) |
| Each dependent child | $270 | Processing fee (no right of permanent residence fee) |
| Biometrics, one person | $85 | Fingerprints and photo |
| Biometrics, family of 2 or more | $170 | Maximum when applying together |
You can pay the right of permanent residence fee later, but you must pay it before you become a permanent resident. Paying it with the application avoids a delay. Medical exams, police certificates and translations are paid to the provider.
Can you decline an Express Entry ITA?
Yes. If you decline, IRCC puts you back in the Express Entry pool and says declining does not affect whether you are invited later. You still need to stay eligible and your score must be high enough for a future round.
Decline rather than apply when your real score is below the round's cut-off (for example a job offer ended, a test result expired or your marital status changed), or when you cannot get key documents in time. If you apply with a score that no longer qualifies, IRCC may refuse the application and keep the processing fee.
- Doing nothing is not declining: the invitation expires and your profile is removed.
- After declining, update your profile so your score is accurate, and track the next rounds on the Express Entry draw tracker.
Why applications are returned or refused
An incomplete application is treated as never submitted. A refusal is a decision on the file.
The online system blocks submission until mandatory fields and checklist slots are filled, but an application can still be judged incomplete if a document is the wrong one, unreadable or blank. In that case IRCC tells you and refunds the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee, if you paid it.
- Information that does not match your profile: a lower language score, fewer months of work, a different marital status.
- Reference letters missing hours, salary, dates or duties, so the work experience cannot be confirmed.
- Funds that are not shown, not available, or rely on unexplained deposits.
- Gaps in personal history or travel, or a missing police certificate with no proof it was requested.
- False or misleading information: misrepresentation can lead to a refusal and a five-year ban, even if someone else filled in the form for you.
Common mistakes after an ITA
- Start police certificates and the medical exam in week 1.
- Recheck your CRS score against the round's cut-off before you fill anything in.
- Use the exact names, dates and job titles from your profile and documents.
- Upload a short letter of explanation wherever something looks unusual.
- Submit a few days early: the system can be slow near deadlines.
- Keep a copy of every upload and the submission confirmation.
- Don't wait until week 6 to ask employers for letters.
- Don't upload a blank page or the wrong document just to unlock the submit button.
- Don't send your passport to a visa centre before IRCC asks for it.
- Don't apply with a score you know has dropped below the cut-off.
- Don't pay anyone who promises a guaranteed approval.
Next: landing in Canada
Once your COPR arrives, switch to the PR landing checklist: what to carry, the goods list for the border, and your first weeks as a permanent resident.
Keep a copy
Download the PDF to print it or keep it on your phone. Prints cleanly on A4 and Letter.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Last checked against official sources on Oct 6, 2026. Rules change: always confirm on canada.ca before you submit anything.
- IRCC: Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry (60 days, declining, refunds) (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: After you apply (biometrics, updates) (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Express Entry documents (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Express Entry police certificates (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Express Entry medical exams (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Express Entry proof of funds (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Schedule A background/declaration (personal history) (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Fee listFees read on 2026-10-06 (page modified 2026-09-21). (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Find a visa application centre (passport requests) (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: If your Express Entry application is approved (COPR) (opens in a new tab)
- IRCC: Spot, stop, report immigration fraud (opens in a new tab)
- Express Entry document checklistEvery document for your profile and PR application
- Police certificates for Canada immigrationWhich countries, which certificate, when to ask
- Proof of funds calculatorHow much money Express Entry asks for
- PR landing checklistYour first weeks in Canada as a permanent resident
Express Entry7 min read
How Many CRS Points Is French Worth? 2026 Express Entry Guide
French can add up to 50 bonus CRS points, plus second-language points and access to French-category draws. Calculator and worked examples for 2026.
Now check your French level
French is where most Express Entry profiles find their biggest jump in points. Ten free questions tell you where you stand on the NCLC scale.
Check my French level