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Application Stages + What They Mean (MEP, IP1, IP2, Ghost Update...) - Version 2019

eniramo11

Newbie
Aug 13, 2019
2
0
H
IRCC has introduced a number of changes in recent months and it is time to update our understanding of the post-AOR stages. I am simply building on the amazing work of @northern sunshine in developing an explanation of the various stages we can use - informally - to track the progress of our application. Huge thanks in particular to @USProgrammer who has posited the underlying trends and found evidence for them. In short, the traditional transition from IP1 to IP2 to ghost update to PPR still holds but in a modified way due to these changes.

From 31 Dec 2018, everyone except for Inland candidates has to provide their biometrics which means the default starting stage applicants will see for their Background Check is ‘IP2’ (“We are processing your background check…”), however, this is a ‘False IP2’, meaning an IP2 that has appeared before it is actually due as the application has not in fact progressed to the IP2 stage yet.

If you have an AOR of 31 Dec 2018 or later, follow the chart below to track your progress. Candidates will remain in a state of 'False IP2' throughout their application and only see a series of 'ghost updates' following their MEP; the first such ghost update (which should follow shortly after MEP) will signify your Real IP1, the second ghost update will signify your Real IP2, and the third will be your ‘Final’ Ghost Update, following which you are likely to receive your PPR.

If you have an AOR date of up to 30 Dec 2018
, the chart also applies to you if you meet one or more of these conditions: you are a CEC or PNP-Inland candidate, you were required to provide your biometrics or you did not pay your RPRF upfront.

Note for FSW-Outland candidates who have an AOR date of up to 30 Dec 2018: If you did not need to provide biometrics and paid your RPRF upfront, the old transition from NA1 all the way to a Final Ghost Update will still apply to you. Your Background Check should have started in NA1 ("Not Applicable" 1), meaning your Background Check status said "Not Applicable" right after you submitted your application.

General:
EE
- Express Entry: Canada's score-based program for economic immigrants
CRS - Comprehensive Ranking System: System for ranking candidates for EE
ITA - Invitation to Apply: an invitation to apply for permanent residence
e-APR - electronic Application for Permanent Residence: the online application for PR after receiving an ITA
RPRF - Right of Permanent Residence Fee: a fee collected as part of your PR application
AOR - Acknowledgement of Receipt (of application): email confirming receipt of your application after you submit and pay your fees
ADR - Additional Document Request: IRCC sends a message asking you to provide a specific document to supplement your application.

Post-submission stages:
False IP2
- Usually right from AOR or just after MEP. Background Check shows "We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.”
MEP - Medicals passed: review of medical results changes from "You do not need a medical exam." to "You have passed the medical exam." There is no email for MEP.
Ghost Update - When you log in, the application says it's been "updated" but none of the fields have changed. Once you logout and log back in, the application returns to being "submitted". Ghost updates are not announced by email and a candidate must check their profile daily to not miss them.
Ghost Update #1 or Real IP1 - "In progress" 1: Background Check changes to "Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start your background check." Usually follows MEP. Some applicants (especially Inland and CEC) skip this stage. You should receive an email for your Real IP1 - the email will not provide any details, just that your application has been updated.
NA2 - "Not Applicable" 2: Background Check changes to "Not Applicable" again after IP1. Some applicants skip this stage and it is easily missed. No email.
Ghost Update #2 or Real IP2 - "In progress" 2: Background Check changes to "We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information." No email.
NA3 - "Not Applicable" 3: Background Check changes to "Not Applicable" again after IP2 (uncommon).
Ghost Update #3 or Final Ghost Update - Often considered a sign that PPR is coming soon. Not seen by all applicants.
PPR - Passport request: IRCC sends "Ready for visa" e-mail asking you to submit your documents to your visa office so they can issue your CoPR and entry visa if applicable. A PPR is announced only by email, and there may be no changes made directly to the profile. If you are worried you might miss it, you can whitelist the email domain @cic.gc.ca to ensure the email comes straight to your inbox.
CoPR - Confirmation of Permanent Residence: A document that says you've been approved for permanent residence.

Other notes:
1. The ‘eligibility’ and ‘final decision’ fields in your profile will not change to passed until after you receive your CoPR. This is an example of what a profile may look like following a CoPR.
2. Remember that these are not "official" stages, but they are used frequently throughout the forum to track the processing of applications.

This is a combined effort of @northern sunshine, @USProgrammer and myself. Please share your feedback - it is likely we have missed a few things!
Hello
I'm new in groupe and i need your help please .
AOR : 30 june 2019
MEP : 31 july 2019
But no BIL until now what do you think , is there a probleme ?
thank you
 
Last edited:

bubai

Star Member
Dec 20, 2018
104
2
Hi,
I am CEC inland and MEP passed at 16th AUG. I called CIC and they told criminality check is in progress. Do you know which stage cyurrenty i am in ?
 

saqibrizvi

Star Member
Sep 5, 2017
56
8
Can anyone comment on my stage please

Basic information:
PNP- Outland, Express Entry
AOR: August 7, 2019 with background check status
  • We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
MEP and BIL August 28, 2019
Email Update: August 29, 2019 saying that myapplication has been updated, but I did not see any changes on my application status page.
Biometric submitted and updated September 3, 2019

When I logged it on my account on September 24, 2019, I saw status as your application has been updated and my background status changed from “We are processing your background check” to
“ Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start your background check.”

I am confused?
 

Usman Iqbal

Full Member
Apr 24, 2019
36
5
I have received ITA under express entry. I want to ask when will i have to give medical exam, before Submitting PR Application or after submitting it they will send me request for medical.
Kindly guide?
 

saqibrizvi

Star Member
Sep 5, 2017
56
8
I have received ITA under express entry. I want to ask when will i have to give medical exam, before Submitting PR Application or after submitting it they will send me request for medical.
Kindly guide?
you need to get your medical upfront and submit the evidence with your application
 

Confusedal

Star Member
Mar 12, 2019
64
12
Can anyone comment on my stage please

Basic information:
PNP- Outland, Express Entry
AOR: August 7, 2019 with background check status
  • We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
MEP and BIL August 28, 2019
Email Update: August 29, 2019 saying that myapplication has been updated, but I did not see any changes on my application status page.
Biometric submitted and updated September 3, 2019

When I logged it on my account on September 24, 2019, I saw status as your application has been updated and my background status changed from “We are processing your background check” to
“ Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start your background check.”

I am confused?
That sounds like an IP1. Were you nominated by Ontario?
 

rezarezash

Newbie
Jul 19, 2017
5
0
Hi Guys,
I have submitted my PR application on 10-Jan-2019 from the UK and then moved to canada under PNP work permit end of Feb. Three weeks ago, MP contacted IRCCon my behalf and and said i have passed medical , eligibility and I am in security screening stage but did not mentioned when it was started. Couple of days ago my lawyer told me there were two ghost updates on my application. Does anyone know what this means? Does it mean I have passed the security screening or as medical already expired they have extended it thats why there were ghost updates?
 

yiso91

Hero Member
Aug 19, 2017
954
481
NOC Code......
1111
AOR Received.
27-01-2019
Passport Req..
29-11-2019
Hi Guys,
I have submitted my PR application on 10-Jan-2019 from the UK and then moved to canada under PNP work permit end of Feb. Three weeks ago, MP contacted IRCCon my behalf and and said i have passed medical , eligibility and I am in security screening stage but did not mentioned when it was started. Couple of days ago my lawyer told me there were two ghost updates on my application. Does anyone know what this means? Does it mean I have passed the security screening or as medical already expired they have extended it thats why there were ghost updates?
Ghost updates could happen for many reasons, could be beacuse they are done with one stage of your application or that someone have triggered an action i.e. ADR or even PPR and it shall be posted to your account soon enough. Wait till Tuesday end of business day and contact your lawyer and ask him if he did received any messages and/or emails from IRCC indicating any update.

Regards
 

yiso91

Hero Member
Aug 19, 2017
954
481
NOC Code......
1111
AOR Received.
27-01-2019
Passport Req..
29-11-2019
I have received ITA under express entry. I want to ask when will i have to give medical exam, before Submitting PR Application or after submitting it they will send me request for medical.
Kindly guide?
Use the ITA letter and visit any of the approved medical centers around the globe (i.e. nearest to you) and ask for an upfront medical examination for CIC.

For Express Entry applications, it's an upfront medical exam , meaning that you need to submit before your file your eAPR.

Regards
 

caioparazzi

Member
Aug 30, 2019
11
2
Hello, me and my wife are applying for WP, she is under a closed one and I'm under an open one, she's under the Global Talent Stream.
Could someone help me with our application?

We started our application on Sept 20th, and we had our biometrics and medical exams done on Sept 25th.

On Oct 2nd there was an update on the platform saying we passed our medical exams, but since then, nothing has changed or any message was sent.
We haven't received any email and our background check says "We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information."
I'm guessing we're still not on IP1, even though the MEP is already done? The last change I notice was on October 2nd after the "Medical passed" message.
 

Niloofargandomkar

Star Member
Jul 6, 2019
71
18
IRCC has introduced a number of changes in recent months and it is time to update our understanding of the post-AOR stages. I am simply building on the amazing work of @northern sunshine in developing an explanation of the various stages we can use - informally - to track the progress of our application. Huge thanks in particular to @USProgrammer who has posited the underlying trends and found evidence for them. In short, the traditional transition from IP1 to IP2 to ghost update to PPR still holds but in a modified way due to these changes.

From 31 Dec 2018, everyone except for Inland candidates has to provide their biometrics which means the default starting stage applicants will see for their Background Check is ‘IP2’ (“We are processing your background check…”), however, this is a ‘False IP2’, meaning an IP2 that has appeared before it is actually due as the application has not in fact progressed to the IP2 stage yet.

If you have an AOR of 31 Dec 2018 or later, follow the chart below to track your progress. Candidates will remain in a state of 'False IP2' throughout their application and only see a series of 'ghost updates' following their MEP; the first such ghost update (which should follow shortly after MEP) will signify your Real IP1, the second ghost update will signify your Real IP2, and the third will be your ‘Final’ Ghost Update, following which you are likely to receive your PPR.

If you have an AOR date of up to 30 Dec 2018
, the chart also applies to you if you meet one or more of these conditions: you are a CEC or PNP-Inland candidate, you were required to provide your biometrics or you did not pay your RPRF upfront.

Note for FSW-Outland candidates who have an AOR date of up to 30 Dec 2018: If you did not need to provide biometrics and paid your RPRF upfront, the old transition from NA1 all the way to a Final Ghost Update will still apply to you. Your Background Check should have started in NA1 ("Not Applicable" 1), meaning your Background Check status said "Not Applicable" right after you submitted your application.

General:
EE
- Express Entry: Canada's score-based program for economic immigrants
CRS - Comprehensive Ranking System: System for ranking candidates for EE
ITA - Invitation to Apply: an invitation to apply for permanent residence
e-APR - electronic Application for Permanent Residence: the online application for PR after receiving an ITA
RPRF - Right of Permanent Residence Fee: a fee collected as part of your PR application
AOR - Acknowledgement of Receipt (of application): email confirming receipt of your application after you submit and pay your fees
ADR - Additional Document Request: IRCC sends a message asking you to provide a specific document to supplement your application.

Post-submission stages:
False IP2
- Usually right from AOR or just after MEP. Background Check shows "We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.”
MEP - Medicals passed: review of medical results changes from "You do not need a medical exam." to "You have passed the medical exam." There is no email for MEP.
Ghost Update - When you log in, the application says it's been "updated" but none of the fields have changed. Once you logout and log back in, the application returns to being "submitted". Ghost updates are not announced by email and a candidate must check their profile daily to not miss them.
Ghost Update #1 or Real IP1 - "In progress" 1: Background Check changes to "Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start your background check." Usually follows MEP. Some applicants (especially Inland and CEC) skip this stage. You should receive an email for your Real IP1 - the email will not provide any details, just that your application has been updated.
NA2 - "Not Applicable" 2: Background Check changes to "Not Applicable" again after IP1. Some applicants skip this stage and it is easily missed. No email.
Ghost Update #2 or Real IP2 - "In progress" 2: Background Check changes to "We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information." No email.
NA3 - "Not Applicable" 3: Background Check changes to "Not Applicable" again after IP2 (uncommon).
Ghost Update #3 or Final Ghost Update - Often considered a sign that PPR is coming soon. Not seen by all applicants.
PPR - Passport request: IRCC sends "Ready for visa" e-mail asking you to submit your documents to your visa office so they can issue your CoPR and entry visa if applicable. A PPR is announced only by email, and there may be no changes made directly to the profile. If you are worried you might miss it, you can whitelist the email domain @cic.gc.ca to ensure the email comes straight to your inbox.
CoPR - Confirmation of Permanent Residence: A document that says you've been approved for permanent residence.

Other notes:
1. The ‘eligibility’ and ‘final decision’ fields in your profile will not change to passed until after you receive your CoPR. This is an example of what a profile may look like following a CoPR.
2. Remember that these are not "official" stages, but they are used frequently throughout the forum to track the processing of applications.

This is a combined effort of @northern sunshine, @USProgrammer and myself. Please share your feedback - it is likely we have missed a few things!

Thanks for your explanation.

My brother's profile is tuck in IP1 for a long time

Is it normal? His AOR is on 11 May 2019
 

rezarezash

Newbie
Jul 19, 2017
5
0
Ghost updates could happen for many reasons, could be beacuse they are done with one stage of your application or that someone have triggered an action i.e. ADR or even PPR and it shall be posted to your account soon enough. Wait till Tuesday end of business day and contact your lawyer and ask him if he did received any messages and/or emails from IRCC indicating any update.

Regards
I have been informed by the MP that my security screening has been passed on 4th OCT and mu application has been waiting for final decision. Is this also a lengthy process?
 

yiso91

Hero Member
Aug 19, 2017
954
481
NOC Code......
1111
AOR Received.
27-01-2019
Passport Req..
29-11-2019
I have been informed by the MP that my security screening has been passed on 4th OCT and mu application has been waiting for final decision. Is this also a lengthy process?
For some it took one day and for others it took weeks , no one can tell you for sure. But since everything is finalized that is a relief and you may start preparing your passport and getting new photo's clicked (if you need it).

Regards
 

rezarezash

Newbie
Jul 19, 2017
5
0
I
For some it took one day and for others it took weeks , no one can tell you for sure. But since everything is finalized that is a relief and you may start preparing your passport and getting new photo's clicked (if you need it).

Regards
I applied for CBSA update request and got it in my mailbox today. It is only 3 pages and in the 2nd page , the details section it shows the status as completed and the 3rd page in the recommendation sections all the fields are empty. I have no idea what it means!? Any Idea?
 

rezarezash

Newbie
Jul 19, 2017
5
0
Hi,
I applied for CBSA update request and got it in my mailbox today. It has only 3 pages and in the 2nd page , the details section it shows the status as completed and the 3rd page in the recommendation sections all the fields are empty. I have no idea what it means!? Any Idea?