When should I start gathering documents?
For example, some police certificates need months to be issued. You should check which police certificate you might need to apply for and check the processing times for receiving yours, and plan accordingly.
You also have to check, double-check, and then triple-check all the documents you already have, such as passports, degrees, marriage/divorce certificates etc. If you find out that there’s an error or a discrepancy at the last minute, you will not be able to correct it. Take your time before getting your ITA to go through your documents multiple times, so you will enough time and no stress to re-issue any document that includes a mistake.
When do I have to upload documents and in which format?
Your personalized document checklist is created after filling the post-ITA application forms. This checklist is dynamic and changes based on the information you have supplied in your post-ITA application form. You should provide all documents that appear in your Personalized Document Checklist.
For each of the following sections (e.g passport, police certificates, …), you will have only one spot to upload your documents. If you have multiple documents to upload, you will need to merge them into ONE PDF document, that has LESS THAN 4 MB. You can use SmallPDF (free but after a few tries, you will have to wait an hour before trying again) to merge, compress or convert your documents, so you can have the right document to upload.
Applications that do not contain the following documents will likely be rejected as incomplete. To read about some common errors that previous applicants have made in their application, check this link.
Documents of identity and marital status
Passport
What to upload?
You have to upload a clear and readable copy of the bio page of your passport or your travel document. You should scan every page that has a marking, visa, or stamp. No need to upload blank pages. Stamps that are not in English or French must be translated. If your passport is new and contains only your biographical page, just upload that page.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, and
- Your accompanying dependent children.
Married
What to upload?
If your are married, documents proving this status need to be provided. The marriage has to be valid under Canadian law.
If your marriage occurred in Canada, you need to provide a copy of the marriage certificate.
If your marriage occurred outside Canada, a copy of a legal marriage certificate issued by the proper authorities.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant.
In a common-law union
What to upload?
If you have a common-law partner, you need to prove this status and upload the following documents:
- The Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union form (IMM 5409), and
- Evidence that you and your common-law partner lived together for at least 12 continuous months, including but not limited to:
- copy of lease agreements,
- copy of joint bank account statements, and
- utility invoices.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant.
Divorced
What to upload?
If you and/or your spouse/partner are divorced, documents proving this status need to be provided.
If the divorce occurred in Canada, you need to provide either a copy of the divorce order or the certificate of divorce.
If the divorce occurred outside Canada, you need to provide a copy of a legal divorce certificate issued by the proper authorities.
If available, you need to also provide the copy of the legal separation agreement.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant, and/or
- Your spouse/partner.
Widowed
What to upload?
If you are a widow, you will need to provide a copy of a death certificate, and/or any other relevant legal document related to the death of your late spouse.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant.
Have dependent children
What to upload?
If you have dependent children, you need to upload the following documents to prove your relationship to the children:
- a birth certificate,
- an legal document proving you are the parent, and/or
- a Letter of Explanation (in case the country of birth does not issue birth certificates).
Who has to upload the documents?
- Your dependent children, accompanying or not.
Have adopted children
What to upload?
If one of your dependent children is adopted, you will need to provide a copy of all relevant legal adoption documents.
Who has to upload the documents?
- Your dependent children, accompanying or not.
Digital photograph
What to upload?
You and your family members have to provide a digital photograph meeting IRCC’s specifications.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, accompanying or not, and
- Your dependent children, accompanying or not.
Mandatory Documents
Medical Exam
What to do?
You, your spouse/partner and your dependent children, must see a doctor on the list of panel physicians. The panel physician will do a complete medical exam. The doctor may refer you for chest x-rays and laboratory tests. Once your exam is done, the physician will send IRCC the results. The medical exam should only be done after receiving your Invitation to Apply (ITA). Find out more on what to expect in our Medical Exam section.
What to upload?
Before October 1, 2023:
You must provide a copy of either (i) the information printout sheet (for the e-Medical system) or (ii) the Upfront Medical Report form (for the paper-based system), whichever the panel physician provides upon completion of the medical examination.
Under exceptional circumstances (at IRCC’s discretion), the following may be accepted (without any guarantee):
- proof that you scheduled the medical exam with an approved panel physician, and/or
- a Letter of Explanation (LoE) clarifying why the medical exam could not be done.
On or after October 1, 2023:
You no longer need to get an upfront medical exam before you submit your application for permanent residence through Express Entry. You will just have to upload a blank document in the upload field of your Express Entry profile when submitting your application, and wait for IRCC to send you further instructions on when to get your medical exam.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, accompanying or not, and
- Your dependent children, accompanying or not.
Police certificate
What to do?
The applicant needs to retrace his/her life from the age of 18, and calculate the number of days spent in a specific country. If the consecutive total exceeds 6 months, the applicant needs to provide a police certificate. Before getting an Invitation to Apply, the applicant should check how to get the police certificate and how long that would take. This will help smooth and relieve the stress of not getting the police certificate in time.
This IRCC page lets you know what to do to obtain the right police certificate.
What to upload?
Police certificates are required up front and are mandatory for each country (except Canada) where an individual has lived for a total of 6 consecutive months or more in the last 10 years. There is no need to provide police certificates for periods before the age of 18.
(i) For the current country of residence, the police certificate needs to be issued maximum six months before the application for permanent residence is submitted.
(ii) For a past country of residence (6 consecutive months), the police certificate needs to be issued after the date of departure from the country as a resident.
You should check the validity of the police certificate, if there is one. If the criteria in (i) or (ii) are respected, the police certificate may be accepted if expired. If not, you can’t upload an expired police certificate.
For the police certificate of a set of countries, IRCC needs a consent form which will allow them to ask for the police certificate directly. For example, an applicant seeking a police certificate from New Zealand must download and complete the Consent to Disclosure of Information (NZ) form available on the IRCC website. You only need to upload the consent form for these set of countries.
You need to scan in colour the original police certificate(s).
Under exceptional circumstances (at IRCC’s discretion), the following may be accepted (without any guarantee):
- proof that the police certificate has been requested immediately after receipt of the ITA, and
- a Letter of Explanation (LoE), clarifying why the police certificate could not be uploaded in time.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, accompanying or not, and
- Your dependent children over 18 years old, accompanying or not.
Settlement funds
What to upload?
If you are a CEC applicant, or an FSW/FST applicant with (i) an authorization to work in Canada and (ii) a valid job offer, you do not need to provide proof of funds.
To prove you own enough money (above the Low Income Cut-Off, LICO), you have to upload a letter from at least one bank, which details all your asset accounts (cash, investments, etc.) and your debt accounts (loans, credit card debts).
- This letter has to include the letterhead and contact information of the bank, your name, account(s) numbers, opening date of the account(s), the current and average (over past 6 months) balance of the account(s).
- You need to provide proof of origin of any incoming large amounts of money that cannot be explained by your job salary. For example, a notarized gift deed if you received large sums of money from your family within 6 months from applying, or the sale agreement of your car, etc.
Check here for more information on the settlement funds.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant.
Documents for claiming CRS points
Work experience
What to upload?
If you or your spouse/partner declared work experience, for each work experience:
- If you were a salaried employee, you need to upload a reference letter from your employer, which:
- has to include the company letterhead and contact information, your name, and the name, title and signature your superior or HR officer, and
- has to include all occupations held during your employment within the company, with the following details: title, duties, beginning date of employment, if currently working or not in the company (end date of employment if not), number of work hours/week, and annual wages and benefits.
- If you are self-employed, you need to upload evidence that you own your business, and proof of your income from clients in the form of any document explaining the service provided and payment details (if you declare your duties by yourself through an affidavit or declaration, it will not be accepted by IRCC as proof of work experience).
If you have declared Canadian work experience, you should include copies of your T4 tax information slips and notices of assessment.
If you have problems coming up with an experience letter per IRCC’s guidelines above, you should upload as many documents as possible from the following:
- Your pay stubs.
- Your employment contract.
- Your job description with the company letterhead (sealed or signed by the company if possible).
- A reference letter from your supervisor (with or without the company letterhead) with as much information as possible, and most importantly your job duties, signed and legalized.
- A certificate of employment and/or salary from your employer.
- Proof that your employer refused to provide the document per IRCC guidelines.
- A Letter of Explanation (LoE) explaining why you could not provide the requested document(s).
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant, and/or
- Your spouse/partner.
Studies
What to upload?
To receive points for studies, you must either:
- upload proof of having completed studies in Canada (secondary or post-secondary), or
- upload the copy of the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), provide its reference number in your Express Entry application, and upload proof of having completed these studies outside Canada.
Proof of completed studies in Canada or outside Canada can include copies of:
- the credentials: copy of your certificate, diploma or degree, and/or
- school transcripts showing you completed the requirements of your credential.
To obtain the additional points for studies in Canada, you must add the institution number of Designated Learning Institution (DLI) where you completed your highest credential.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant, and/or
- Your spouse/partner.
Valid job offer
What to upload?
If you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, you must upload the letter of employment, and it must:
- include the letterhead and contact information of the company, your name, and the name, title and signature of your future immediate superior or HR officer, and
- include the job start date, occupation title, duties, numbers of work hours/week, annual salary and benefits. The letter must also clarify that the job is on a continuous and full-time basis, for at least one year after issuance of the PR visa. It must also specify you are holding said job currently.
If your employer has a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to the job offer, you need to upload the LMIA number in your Express Entry application. You do not need to upload the LMIA when submitting your application, however, it might be asked of you later by IRCC.
For more information on the validity of employment offers, click here.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant.
Certificate of qualification
What to upload?
If you declared having received a provincial/territorial certificate of qualification, you have to provide a copy of said certificate.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant, and
- Your spouse/partner.
Relative in Canada
What to upload?
This is requested if you, and/or your spouse/partner, indicate that you have a family member in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
You will need proof of your family member’s Canadian citizenship or permanent residence: copy of passport, birth certificate, permanent residence card, etc. (copy of both sides when applicable).
You will also need to prove that your family member is living in Canada: mortgage documents, lease, utility bills, etc. showing the Canadian address and a recent date (maximum 6 months before submission).
You have to prove as well the family member’s relationship to you or your spouse/partner: official documents stating the relationship between the two family members, birth certificates, etc.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant, and/or
- Your spouse/partner.
Other documents
Other name
What to upload?
This is requested if you (or someone in your application) have used another name in the past (e.g., a maiden name). You must upload any document explaining the use of this other name (e.g., a letter of explanation, legal documents of a name change, notarized affidavit of one and same name).
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, accompanying or not, and/or
- Your dependent children, accompanying or not.
Use of representative
What to upload?
The document is requested only if you indicate that you are using a representative or if a consultant completes an application on your behalf through the consultant portal.
You need to upload the IMM 5476 form. It must be signed by you and, if applicable, your spouse or common-law partner.
Each accompanying dependent child over the age of 18 must also complete and sign their own IMM 5476 form if a representative is also conducting business on their behalf.
Who has to upload the documents?
- You, the main applicant,
- Your spouse/partner, and
- Your accompanying dependent children who are at least 18 years old.
When do I write a Letter of Explanation (LoE)?
When and how to translate documents?
Translations in Canada
If one of your documents is not written in French or in English, you must also upload:
- a French or English translation, and
- an affidavit or attestation from the person who completed the translation.
- If the translation has been done in by a certified translator (member of a territorial or provincial organization of translators and interpreters in Canada), they have to provide an attestation which states that the translation is accurate and true.
- If the translation has been done by an uncertified translator, they must submit an affidavit (signed in the presence of a commissioner of oaths, stating that the translation is accurate and true).
Translations outside Canada
If one of your documents is not written in French or in English, you must also upload a French or English translation by a certified translator. The translator needs to be a member of a professional translation association, evidenced by a membership number or stamp in the certified translation.
In both cases, you cannot ask one of your family members (father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, partner, grandfather, grandmother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, or first cousin) to translate your documents, it will not be accepted.
As a precaution, you should get your documents translated by a certified translator.
Express Entry Step-by-Step Guide
1. Finding your NOC (National Occupational Classification)
To be eligible, you need to first check that you work experience, as defined by the NOC system, is eligible for Express Entry.
2. Getting your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you credential is not Canadian
You need to get your foreign educational credential assessed by one of IRCC’s approved third parties.
3. Taking your English and/or French language tests
For all the three Express Entry programs, you need to take English and/or French test(s) and score a number of points to be eligible.
4. Checking your eligibility to Express Entry
Check if you eligible to Express Entry under one of the three economic immigration programs.
Go to Step 4.
5. Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score
You need next to understand how to calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This score is the one you will be ranked with in the Express Entry pool.
6. Getting into the Express Entry Pool
After taking your language exam(s), and getting your ECA (if your credential is not Canadian), you need to verify your eligibility through the Come to Canada Tool and then create your Express Entry profile to get into the pool of applicants.
7. Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
If you have enough CRS points, you will get an Invitation to Apply. You will have 60 days to fill additional forms and submit your supporting documents.
8. Your document checklist: Tips and Advice - YOU ARE HERE
After receiving you Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will need to upload the requested supporting documents. Get ahead and make sure you will not have a problem gathering them.
9. From Acknowledgement of Receipt (AoR) to Passeport Request (PPR)
After submitting your documents, learn about the process of approval of your application and the different updates that will let you have an idea on where you application is at.
10. Preparing your landing in Canada
Check out our resources regarding Life in Canada, to learn all about the country, its biggest cities, its healthcare and education systems, what things to do first when arriving in Canada, etc.
