Free community tracker · Express Entry

From AOR to PPR: every stage, in order.

You have your Acknowledgement of Receipt. Between it and your Passport Request sit eight stages, each with a status that changes when you least expect it. Here's the whole path - what each stage means, the order it happens in, and the typical window - then track your own, free.

Track my PR timeline See all stages

6-month IRCC standardExpress Entry, PNP & sponsorshipFree, no signup to start

The short answer

The Express Entry service standard is 6 months from AOR for most complete applications. For outland files, the Passport Request typically follows the final decision within days to two weeks - so most PPRs land in months 5–7. Inland files usually finish with PR Portal emails and an eCOPR instead of a PPR.

IRCC service standard + community-tracked timelines · not a guarantee for any individual file.

IRCC standard

6 months

Most outland PPRs

Months 5–7

Stage by stage

The eight stages between AOR and your PR card

Every complete Express Entry file moves through the same broad sequence. Some background checks run in parallel; the portal chain at the end is strictly ordered.

01
Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)
Day 0
IRCC confirms your complete eAPR is received. Your processing clock starts and your cohort is built around this date.
02
Biometrics letter → completed
Weeks 2–5
A letter asks for fingerprints and a photo - $85 per person, max $170 per family. Done at Service Canada (inland) or a VAC (outland).
03
Medical passed
Months 2–3
An IRCC panel physician's results are recorded. Express Entry applicants often complete this upfront; results are generally valid 12 months.
04
Background check
Months 2–4
Criminality, security screening and information sharing run - sometimes in parallel, sometimes toggling status. Usually the longest single phase.
05
Eligibility review
Months 3–5
An officer confirms you meet your program's requirements - work experience, language, funds, NOC. Shows as 'Recommended / Passed'.
06
Final decision
Months 4–6
Approved. What comes next depends on where you applied from.
07
PPR (outland) or P1/P2 (inland)
Days–weeks later
Outland: a Passport Request to submit your passport. Inland: PR Portal emails to confirm details and upload a photo.
08
eCOPR / landing → PR card
+weeks
Inland applicants get an electronic COPR; outland applicants land at a port of entry. The PR card is mailed after.

Definitions summarized from IRCC. Official references: after you apply - Express Entry, biometrics, check your status. Live estimate: Check processing times.

Inland vs outland

The finish line differs by where you applied

Inland → eCOPRApplied from inside Canada

Final decision

P1 email

P2 email

eCOPR

After the final decision you receive PR Portal emails - P1 confirms your details and presence, P2 invites a photo and address. Then an eCOPR makes you a permanent resident without leaving the country.

Outland → PPR → landingApplied from outside Canada

Final decision

PPR

COPR

Landing

After approval you get a Passport Request (PPR), submit your passport for a visa counterfoil and COPR, then complete landing at a Canadian port of entry. The PR card follows by mail.

Stop guessing

See where your file sits between AOR and PPR

Reading the stages tells you the map. The tracker tells you your position on it - days since AOR, your expected windows, and how your pace compares to everyone who applied the same month.

Track my PR

Every milestone, AOR to PR card, with the typical day for files like yours.
Your AOR-month cohort - what % have reached each stage, updated as members log.
Estimated dates that adapt to what you've already logged, not generic AOR medians.
Free, no signup to start, and we never ask for your GCKey or UCI.

Common questions

AOR to PPR, answered

How long does it take from AOR to PPR?

IRCC's service standard for Express Entry is 6 months for most complete applications, counted from AOR. In community-tracked files a Passport Request (PPR) for outland applicants typically follows the final decision within days to two weeks, so most outland PPRs land in months 5–7. Inland applicants usually receive PR Portal emails and an eCOPR instead of a PPR. Always confirm the live estimate on canada.ca.

What is the order of stages from AOR to PR?

AOR, then the biometrics letter (BIL) and biometrics, medical passed, background check (criminality, security and information sharing), eligibility review, final decision, then either a Passport Request (outland) or PR Portal emails P1 and P2 (inland), followed by eCOPR or landing, and finally the PR card.

What is PPR?

PPR means Passport Request - the email IRCC sends after approving an outland application, asking you to submit your passport so a visa counterfoil and Confirmation of Permanent Residence can be issued. Applicants inside Canada generally receive PR Portal emails leading to an eCOPR instead of a PPR.

Does everyone get a PPR?

No. A PPR is the outland path. If you applied from inside Canada you'll usually get PR Confirmation Portal emails (commonly called P1 and P2) and an electronic COPR, completing the process without a passport request.

What does 'background check in progress' mean?

It means IRCC and partner agencies are verifying admissibility - criminality, security screening and information sharing. The status can toggle between 'Not applicable' and 'In progress' more than once, which is normal.

Can I speed up the AOR to PPR timeline?

You can't accelerate IRCC processing, but you can avoid self-inflicted delays: submit complete police certificates for every country lived in 6+ months since age 18, complete biometrics and the medical promptly, and respond to any request within its deadline. A clean, complete file is the fastest file.