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IELTS expiring while your PR application is still processing — do you need to retake it?

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

Documents Needed

  • Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)

    Once you receive your AOR, your submitted IELTS result is locked in for the application even if it later expires.

Step-by-Step

If you submitted your Express Entry / PR application and your IELTS test result is set to expire before you receive a decision:

  1. Check whether you've received your Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR). Once IRCC has issued the AOR for your application, your IELTS score at the time of submission is locked in for that application.

  2. You do not need to retake IELTS even if the test's normal 2-year validity period passes while your application is still being processed — the lock-in happens at AOR, not at test validity expiry.

  3. This only applies to the application already submitted. If you needed to start a fresh Express Entry profile or a new application for any reason, you would need a currently valid IELTS result at that point.


This is a common and well-established point of confusion — the key distinction is between the test's general 2-year validity (for creating/updating a profile) and its lock-in once tied to a submitted application via AOR.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: Your IELTS score is locked in once your PR application receives an AOR — it doesn't matter if the test later 'expires' after that point.
  • Don't: Don't retake IELTS unnecessarily just because the 2-year validity window is closing while your application is still in process.
  • Do: Confirm you've actually received your AOR — if you haven't yet, the lock-in hasn't happened and you should track your test's expiry more carefully.

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