Key takeaways
- IRCC emails the address in your profile to say you have a new message in your account
- To accept or decline the invitation, you must sign in to your account
- The ITA appears as an unsubmitted application of type “Permanent residence”
- The message tells you which program you were invited under and what to do next
- Your ITA is valid for 60 days only
- IRCC’s own pages use different button and section names, so look for the Permanent residence row
The email you get
IRCC’s Help Centre answer says: “you’ll get an email at the address you provided. The email will say that you have a new message in your account. To accept or decline your invitation, you need to sign in.”
The email is a notice. You must sign in to your IRCC account to see and act on the invitation.
Where to find your ITA in your account
IRCC gives two sets of steps. They describe the same place with different names.
| IRCC Help Centre | Express Entry “apply for permanent residence” page | |
|---|---|---|
| Section on the main page | “Continue an application you haven’t submitted” | “Continue my profile / application, not yet submitted” |
| What to find | “Permanent residence” for Express Entry | The row with application type “permanent residency” |
| What to click | “Start application” | The blue “Continue application” button |
Sources: IRCC Help Centre and IRCC: apply for permanent residence. We do not know which label you will see, so look for the Permanent residence row.
What the message tells you
IRCC says the message in your account tells you which program you were invited to apply for and what to do next. IRCC also says: “Your invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only.”
IRCC does not publish how long after a round the invitation appears in your account. IRCC also does not give step-by-step instructions for declining an invitation on the pages we used.
If you do not see an application in the table
IRCC says: “If there’s no application, you can check the status and messages for your profile under the heading View the applications you submitted.”
IRCC’s Help Centre answer on your profile number and validation code gives these steps: choose “View my submitted applications or profiles”, then “Check status and messages”, then open the PDF message in the “Correspondence” table.
If you lost your password or account access
IRCC says you can still be invited if you cannot sign in. You can recover your account. You can also create a new account and link your profile.
To link it, IRCC says to use the number at the end of the subject line of an email IRCC sent you. IRCC’s example is W300027607.
What this means for you
- You got an IRCC email about a new message: sign in to your account. Do not wait for another notice.
- You signed in but see no Permanent residence row: check “View the applications you submitted” for the status and messages of your profile.
- You cannot sign in: recover your account, or create a new one and link your profile with the number from an IRCC email subject line.
- You have an ITA: it is valid for 60 days only.
What to do next
- Sign in to your IRCC account and read the message.
- Note the program you were invited under and the 60-day deadline.
- Open the Permanent residence application and read what IRCC says to do next.
- See our Express Entry guide and the document checklist generator.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my Express Entry ITA?
In your IRCC account, as an unsubmitted application of type “Permanent residence”. IRCC’s pages name the section and button differently.
How long is an ITA valid?
IRCC says 60 days only.
Can I be invited if I lost my password?
Yes, IRCC says you can still be invited. Recover your account, or create a new one and link your profile.
How do I link a new account?
Use the number at the end of the subject line of an IRCC email, for example W300027607.
How long after a draw does the ITA appear?
IRCC does not give a time on the pages we used.
Sources
- IRCC Help Centre: how to accept or decline an invitation
- IRCC: Apply for permanent residence (Express Entry)
- IRCC Help Centre: profile number and validation code
Facts as provided in our research brief dated October 16, 2026.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your situation, consult a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer.
