# Applying and tracking your Canada application > Most Canadian applications are made and tracked online through an IRCC account. How it works, what happens after you submit and how to stay on top of it. - Category: Visas & permits - For: newcomers moving abroad to work, settle or join family - Country: Canada - Verified on: 2026-10-20 - Source: [IRCC — IRCC secure account](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html) - Page: https://travelsorted.grihaam.online/resources/canada-apply-online-and-track-your-application ## The short answer Most Canadian immigration applications are made online through an **IRCC secure account**. After you submit, IRCC writes to you through that account: to confirm it has reviewed your application, to ask for biometrics, to request more documents or an interview, and to send updates. Your job is to submit a complete, truthful application, **check the account regularly**, reply on time and keep your details up to date. ## Key terms in plain English - **IRCC secure account:** the online account used to apply for many things, including work permits and Express Entry. IRCC warns that some applications use a different account, so check which one yours needs. - **Document checklist:** the personalised list of documents the system asks you to upload. - **Acknowledgement of receipt (AOR):** the letter or email IRCC sends after it receives your application and checks it is complete. - **UCI:** your unique client identifier, a number IRCC assigns you. - **Application status:** what IRCC shows about where your application is. How you check it depends on what you applied for. ## Step by step 1. **Choose the right account.** IRCC's account page lists which applications use the secure account and which use others. 2. **Read your route's instruction guide and checklist** before you start, and gather documents first. 3. **Complete the forms honestly.** IRCC states that if you are not truthful, it may refuse your application, find you inadmissible and bar you from applying again for a period. 4. **Upload documents** in the format requested. Use the original or the type of scan the checklist describes. 5. **Pay the fees shown by IRCC.** Pay only through the official payment page, never to a person. 6. **Submit and keep the confirmation.** Save the receipt and any reference numbers. 7. **Watch your account.** IRCC may send a biometrics letter, ask for more documents or set up an interview. Respond within the time it gives. 8. **Check your status** using the method IRCC lists for your application type. 9. **Report changes.** Tell IRCC if your contact details change, if your family situation changes (for example a birth, marriage or divorce), if you change your representative, or if your job offer or nomination changes. IRCC provides a web form for this. ## Processing times IRCC publishes processing times for each application type, and they change. We do not quote them. Use IRCC's processing times tool, leave generous buffer time and avoid non-refundable bookings until you have your confirmation. ## Checklist - [ ] Confirm which IRCC account your application uses - [ ] Read the instruction guide and the document checklist first - [ ] Gather and scan your documents before you begin - [ ] Complete every form field truthfully - [ ] Pay fees only through IRCC's official payment page - [ ] Save the confirmation, receipts and reference numbers - [ ] Check the account regularly, not only your email - [ ] Respond to every request before its deadline - [ ] Update IRCC when your details or your family change ## Common mistakes - **Submitting an incomplete application.** For Express Entry, IRCC says an incomplete application is rejected and the processing fee refunded. Other routes have their own rules. - **Missing a message in the account.** Check it, not just your email. - **Not reporting a change.** A new address or family member can cause delays. - **Paying through a link in an email.** Use IRCC's website directly. - **Letting someone else fill in blank forms.** Never sign a blank form, and read everything before you submit. ## Things that change Forms, fees, checklists and processing times are updated by the government. Some programmes use their own portals. ## Verify before you act Start at IRCC's [secure account page](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html), then read how to [check your application status](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html) and [check processing times](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html). The official [fee list](https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp) shows the current fees. --- StudentFlow gives general information from official sources. It is not legal or immigration advice and we are not a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer. For advice on your case, speak to a licensed professional. Confirm current rules, fees and thresholds on the official source above.