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Does IELTS need to still be valid when applying for PR after receiving a nomination?

Canada • Express Entry • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • IELTS test results

    Must remain valid up through the Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) stage, not just up to the Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Step-by-Step

There's some confusion about whether IELTS results need to still be valid after a provincial nomination and Invitation to Apply (ITA), especially when the test is close to expiring. Group members explained the relevant checkpoints.

What group members clarified:
  1. Your language scores are effectively locked in ('frozen') at the point of ITA — you don't need to retake the test just because time passes after that.

  2. However, the score still needs to remain valid up until your Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), not just up to the ITA itself. If your IELTS results expire before you actually submit your PR application and receive the AOR, you'll need to retake the test.

  3. The practical takeaway: if your IELTS is close to expiring, prioritize submitting your PR application before that expiry date. If you can't submit in time, plan to retake the test.


Takeaway: IELTS validity matters through AOR, not just through ITA — track your test's expiry date against your expected PR submission date rather than assuming the ITA alone locks everything in.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Submit your PR application (to reach AOR) before your IELTS results expire.
  • Tip: Your language score is locked in at ITA, but it must still be unexpired at the time your application is acknowledged (AOR).
  • Don't: Don't assume receiving your ITA means your IELTS validity no longer matters.

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