In Canada, an Invitation to Apply (also referred to as an ITA) is a formal invitation to apply for permanent residency. Certain people who have already submitted a profile to Express Entry are eligible for this special immigration opportunity.
Those who have received an ITA have had their profile examined and approved. It means that the Government of Canada recognizes their potential for success as a new immigrant. Once the ITA is accepted, processing takes approximately 6 months.
To acquire an ITA, immigration applicants must satisfy several criteria:
OR
Applicants can improve their chances of receiving an ITA by improving their profile score when applying for Express Entry – simply put, the higher the ranking, the better the chances. Hence, there are several ways that applicants can improve their score and their chances for success:
For those immigrant applicants who have received an ITA, there are a number of next steps in order to move the process forward. Application processing takes about 6 months (or less).
Where an application for permanent residency is successful, immigrant applicants receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (this is referred to as a COPR) AND/OR a Permanent Residency Visa. Needless to say, the overall process is highly administrative and bureaucratic, but when supporting documentation and paperwork is properly in place, the results are worthwhile.