Canada Planning Checklist: My Free PR and Landing Checklist

This Canada planning checklist is the one I built and used for my own Express Entry PR application in 2019, and again for my family members’ Parents and Grandparents (PGP) PR application in 2024. It is the most requested thing I share, so I turned it into an easy Excel file you can make your own.

What’s inside the Canada planning checklist

Tab	What it helps you do
Start here	Read how to use it, the colour guide and how to share a suggestion
My progress	See your % done for each part, updated automatically
1 · PR documents	Passport, education, work letters, proof of funds, language test, background form, and items to confirm on IRCC’s checklist
2 · Letter of Explanation	Expiring passport, missing marriage certificate, missing work letter, name differences, address gaps, unusual funds and more
3 · Before you fly	Flight, luggage, carry-on, money, internet
4 · First weeks in Canada	SIN, health card, where to live, furniture, banking, credit score, networking, scams

Items marked ➕ were added for completeness. Confirm each one on IRCC’s official document checklist for your program.

How to make the checklist your own

• For each line, choose Applies to me? Lines you mark No turn grey and are not counted.
• Set the Status as you go: rows turn amber when in progress and green when done.
• Add due dates and notes, and use the Your own item rows, or insert new rows, for anything specific to you.
• It works in Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice.

Before you use this Canada planning checklist

This is what worked for me, shared to help you get organised. I share my own learning: I found the process fairly simple and straightforward, but your case may not be. I am not a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer, and this is not immigration advice.

For something this important, don’t rely on any one person on the internet, including me. If you’re in any doubt, consult a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer. Every program has its own requirements, and they change: always follow the official document checklist that comes with your application on canada.ca.

Want the full story behind it? Read my Express Entry PR journey, or see every step in the Canada Related guide.

Help others: share your suggestion

Spotted a missing step, a rule that changed, or something that saved you time? Send it to me. If I add it to the next version of the checklist, I’ll thank you by first name in the checklist, only with your permission.

Questions about your own situation? Ask in the comments on my YouTube videos, so everyone benefits from the answer.