Update to procedures related to police certificates and Express Entry completeness checks

05/29/2015

Requirement to submit a complete e-application

In Express Entry, applicants are required to submit a complete electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR) within 60 calendar days of being issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The application and all supporting documents must be submitted electronically, through the applicant’s MyCIC account.

Applications are assessed for completeness upfront. An application found to be incomplete should be rejected [R10] and fees should be refunded to the applicant.

The Express Entry six-month processing standard begins when an application is assessed as complete and is promoted in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). The six-month processing standard ends when Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) makes a final decision on the application.

A complete application includes the following:

• the e-APR;
• the cost recovery fee(s);
• all supporting documentation applicable to the program to which the applicant is applying and the applicant’s personal circumstances.

Applicants must undergo upfront medical examinations and submit all required police certificates (PCs) as part of their complete application. In exceptional circumstances, processing offices may be flexible in accommodating these requirements where delays occur outside the control of applicants. See the document checklist for details.

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