Express Entry document checklist

Overview

Express Entry document checklist

Express Entry has two document stages. A profile uses information from key records; after an invitation, the candidate uploads the evidence shown on a personalized checklist and must prove every point-bearing or eligibility fact.

Documents used to create the profile

Prepare a passport or travel document, approved language results, and—where required or claimed—an ECA, written job offer, provincial nomination, trade certificate and proof-of-funds information. Work dates, NOCs and family details should come from records rather than memory.

A passport expiring within six months should normally be renewed before the permanent residence application. Update the application with new passport details when necessary.

Documents required after an invitation

The account generates a personalized list. Common items include police certificates, medical-exam information, proof of work experience, proof of funds, civil-status records, photographs and copies of travel documents.

IRCC may request documents not obvious from the profile. A marriage, divorce, adoption, name change, prior refusal or military history can create additional evidence requirements.

Validity dates can decide the application

Language results must be less than two years old when the permanent residence application is submitted. An ECA must be less than five years old both when the profile is completed and when the application is submitted.

Police-certificate timing depends on whether the person currently lives in the country. Settlement funds must remain available through visa issuance, not just on the day a letter is printed.

A complete upload should be readable and connected

Scan originals in the format and colour required by IRCC. If several records belong in one upload field, combine them in a logical order and use a short explanation to identify unusual evidence or unavoidable gaps.

Do not use a letter of explanation to replace available proof. Its role is to connect evidence, explain a discrepancy or show documented efforts to obtain an item such as a delayed police certificate.

Translate every relevant part of a document

Follow IRCC’s current translation instructions when a record is not in English or French. Names, stamps, handwritten notes and reverse sides can all carry information relevant to authenticity or dates.

Keep the foreign-language record, translation and any required translator declaration together in the same upload. Check that spellings and dates match the forms, and explain genuine differences instead of silently editing them.

A translator should translate what the record says, not make it agree with the application. Resolve an inconsistency in the evidence with an explanation and supporting records.