A common worry: you receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) with a CRS score just above the draw cutoff, then have a birthday before you submit your Application for Permanent Residence (APR) — and your age-based points would technically drop if recalculated. Does this jeopardize your application?
What group members clarified:- Your age, and therefore your CRS score, is locked in at the moment you receive the ITA. It is not recalculated based on your age when you actually submit the APR, even if your birthday falls in between.
- The score shown afterward in your IRCC account may not update to reflect this, which can cause confusion, but it doesn't affect your application. In GCMS (the internal system officers use), a note is typically added explaining that your age changed between ITA and AOR (Acknowledgment of Receipt), along with the standard exemption rule confirming that CRS/age is locked in at the time of ITA.
Takeaway: if you have a birthday between receiving your ITA and submitting your application, you generally don't need to decline the ITA and re-enter the pool — the score you were invited with remains valid, and officers are aware of and account for this timing scenario. If you're uncertain about your specific case, it's still worth confirming with IRCC or a qualified immigration consultant before making a decision like declining an ITA.