Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will once again give Express Entry candidates who receive an invitation to apply 60 days to submit their application for permanent residence.

At the start of the pandemic, the invitation to apply period for permanent residence was increased from 60 to 90 days to provide clients with additional time to prepare their applications, in response to challenges they faced in acquiring the necessary documentation.

In March 2020, IRCC extended the application period as part of a slew of new coronavirus-related measures. It was meant to allow immigration applicants to have more time to prepare their documents. At the time, the pandemic had just swept the world, causing service disruptions and grounding flights.

As Canada continues to welcome more newcomers, as outlined in the multi-year immigration levels plan, returning to the 60-day timeframe will support IRCC in processing higher volumes of applications in an expedited fashion. Facilitation measures for clients who are unable to provide complete applications because of the pandemic remain in place.

Clients who were invited to apply through Express Entry before June 29, 2021, will still have 90 days to submit their application for permanent residence.

Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for key economic immigration programs, including the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.