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

[Tristan71]

Hi @Tristan71, did your Background Check start out in False IP2 or NA1? Since you had to provide biometrics, I'm guessing False IP2, in which case the chart should apply to you. The ghost updates you see will signify your transition from IP1 to IP2 and so on.

Thanks for your kind response. My BGC status has been always the same from the beginning: "We are processing your background check..." The Ghost Updates were on November 20 and March 9. Upon calling CIC on March 8, I came to know that the Eligibility had been passed but the Security had not been started by then. The Ghost Update appeared the next day, but the BGC status remained the same. Would you please comment in general and specifically on my current application status?

 

[derkdsou]

All of that looks pretty good to me, to be honest!

Thanks for your kind response. My BGC status has been always the same from the beginning: "We are processing your background check..." The Ghost Updates were on November 20 and March 9. Upon calling CIC on March 8, I came to know that the Eligibility had been passed but the Security had not been started by then. The Ghost Update appeared the next day, but the BGC status remained the same. Would you please comment in general and specifically on my current application status?

 

[rutsky]

Thanks for your kind response. My BGC status has been always the same from the beginning: "We are processing your background check..." The Ghost Updates were on November 20 and March 9. Upon calling CIC on March 8, I came to know that the Eligibility had been passed but the Security had not been started by then. The Ghost Update appeared the next day, but the BGC status remained the same. Would you please comment in general and specifically on my current application status?

based on my personal experience i i received my first ever ghost update on the 21st of Feb and then another on the 22nd of February i then called CIC on the 25th of Feb and was told that the first update i saw was when my Criminality was passed and updated and the second ghost update was when my security started and that my security was now in progress on the 1st of March i saw another ghost update and when i did not hear anything by the 8th of March i called CIC again and was told the ghost update on the 1st was due to me security being passed and updated and my background check was now marked as complete just to add that through all this my online profile is still showing as we are reviewing your background check. so the ghost update from my experience usually signifies a start or completion of a milestone in your application

 

[Tristan71]

All of that looks pretty good to me, to be honest!

Thanks a lot. Which pattern of steps will be applied in my case as per your research?

 

[PRAHADEESH]

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!

This is what seen in my profile when i spoke to my lawyer he confirmed IP2 in progress, please let me know how much time it will take for PPR. Please also let me know it will be COPR or PPR?

Review of eligibility We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements
.  Review of medical results You passed the medical exam.  Review of additional documents We do not need additional documents.  Interview You do not need an interview. We will send you a message if this changes.  Biometrics We do not need your fingerprints. We will send you a message if this changes.  Background check We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.  Final decision Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made. 

 

[Peacekeeper87]

This is what seen in my profile when i spoke to my lawyer he confirmed IP2 in progress, please let me know how much time it will take for PPR. Please also let me know it will be COPR or PPR?

Review of eligibility We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements
.  Review of medical results You passed the medical exam.  Review of additional documents We do not need additional documents.  Interview You do not need an interview. We will send you a message if this changes.  Biometrics We do not need your fingerprints. We will send you a message if this changes.  Background check We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.  Final decision Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made. 

Processing time is 6 months after AOR. There is no specific timeline between now and PPR. It depends on your case. The only reliable information is that you can count 6 months from AOR, assuming your file is complete and accurate.

When your application is approved, it's put in "Ready for Visa" status, and a PPR email is sent to you by the visa office of your location.
In it are specific instructions to your case and country of residence for submitting your passport if you are from a country where a visa is required to travel to Canada. After they receive your passport, they stick a visa counterfoil in your passport, and send it back to you along your CoPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence).

 

[Wendy1112]

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!

Thank you so much for your effort! Everything makes more sense to me after reading your post.
So I am an inland CEC applicant, my timeline goes:

AOR: Dec 31
MEP:Feb 10
IP1 Feb 11 (ghost email: I received an email about update shortly after MEP but I just ignored it and thought it was about my MEP)
IP2 Mar 15 (ghost update without an email: my status changed to Profile/ Application updated for a while and didn't receive any email)

Am I understanding everything correctly here? Does everything look normal? What would be the next step...Please let me know if I'm wrong...

I'll keep updating my progress ~

 

[derkdsou]

You're welcome! I'm glad this was of use to you, and thank you for actually taking the time to read and process all of the information - I know it can be a lot!

Yes, you've understood things correctly. The next ghost update you see will mark your third and likely final ghost update, meaning that a PPR should follow shortly thereafter. However, a third ghost update may not be seen by all applicants, so I recommend continuing to check your EE profile regularly. If you ever want to call IRCC for an update on your status, you can follow the instructions in my signature. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your effort! Everything makes more sense to me after reading your post.
So I am an inland CEC applicant, my timeline goes:

AOR: Dec 31
MEP:Feb 10
IP1 Feb 11 (ghost email: I received an email about update shortly after MEP but I just ignored it and thought it was about my MEP)
IP2 Mar 15 (ghost update without an email: my status changed to Profile/ Application updated for a while and didn't receive any email)

Am I understanding everything correctly here? Does everything look normal? What would be the next step...Please let me know if I'm wrong...

I'll keep updating my progress ~

 

[clinkz]

I guess the ghost email after MEP is just a delayed email for letting you know that your application has been updated, which is not an actual ghost update. @derkdsou

 

[Candidate@@@]

AOR: Dec 17 ,2018
I have passed medicals on jan 30 and have checked my profile on march 10 and its in IP2 stage. Any tentative idea about time from ip2 to ppr as i have to make some travel plans based it.

 

[SithLord]

I guess the ghost email after MEP is just a delayed email for letting you know that your application has been updated, which is not an actual ghost update. @derkdsou

I got an email saying my application was update on the same date(Nov 30) I passed medicals. I also received ADR request on the same day. I believe my IP1 was also changed on same day but I did not pay attention to that until December 4.

 

[Peacekeeper87]

Seriously, these kinds of speculation about these IP1 IP2 and stuff need to die down!

I've had someone telling me that he's 3 months after AOR (January 1st) and started panicking after reading this thread, thinking that because he has never received any ghost update, thought that his application wasn't started. Called IRCC later only to find Criminality passed, and eligibility pass, and security not started.

He was in "We are Processing your background check" since AOR.

Guys! There is no IP1 or IP2 stage! Every application is different and every office can be different!

You need to relax and wait for 6 months for your processing time. You may or you may not receive so-called ghost update, but whether or not you do doesn't hold any ground of evidence.

Seriously, this Sherlock Holmes madness needs to stop...

 

[Abhi0505]

Seriously, these kinds of speculation about these IP1 IP2 and stuff need to die down!

I've had someone telling me that he's 3 months after AOR (January 1st) and started panicking after reading this thread, thinking that because he has never received any ghost update, thought that his application wasn't started. Called IRCC later only to find Criminality passed, and eligibility pass, and security not started.

He was in "We are Processing your background check" since AOR.

Guys! There is no IP1 or IP2 stage! Every application is different and every office can be different!

You need to relax and wait for 6 months for your processing time. You may or you may not receive so-called ghost update, but whether or not you do doesn't hold any ground of evidence.

Seriously, this Sherlock Holmes madness needs to stop...

Can you please let me know if an express entry profile can be created after uploading the signed request for withdrawal of the submitted PR application or should we wait for the withdrawal confirmation by the ircc? ItsI been a month since submission and medicals haven't passed yet. Hoping for a response

 

[Brian_Sun]

You're welcome! I'm glad this was of use to you, and thank you for actually taking the time to read and process all of the information - I know it can be a lot!

Yes, you've understood things correctly. The next ghost update you see will mark your third and likely final ghost update, meaning that a PPR should follow shortly thereafter. However, a third ghost update may not be seen by all applicants, so I recommend continuing to check your EE profile regularly. If you ever want to call IRCC for an update on your status, you can follow the instructions in my signature. Good luck!

Mr Derkdsou,

Do you know when does criminality check happens? During ip1 or ip2.

As for eligibility, criminality and security, do they have a specific order for them to do the work?

Thanks in advance.

 

[derkdsou]

There is no such thing as a ghost email. A ghost update is not announced by email and this is partially why it is called a "ghost" update. If you are still confused by what a ghost update means, I suggest you look at this: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/december-2018-aor-join-here.598089/page-243#post-7698438

I guess the ghost email after MEP is just a delayed email for letting you know that your application has been updated, which is not an actual ghost update. @derkdsou

At IP1, you can only be sure that your R10 check is complete. Beyond that, there is no specific order to how IRCC will process your eligibility, criminality and security, though usually a "real" IP2 (read the original thread to understand what that means) signifies that your eligibility has been reviewed and promoted to "met" or "passed" and your criminality has also been "passed". Security usually follows all this.

Mr Derkdsou,
Do you know when does criminality check happens? During ip1 or ip2.
As for eligibility, criminality and security, do they have a specific order for them to do the work?
Thanks in advance.