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To keep applicants informed, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regularly updates its processing times to indicate how long applications usually take to be processed under normal circumstances.
Some processing times are updated weekly, while others are updated monthly.
Processing times for an application type can increase or decrease due to a myriad of factors, such as application volume and backlog, staffing, and policy and procedure changes.
IRCC begins processing your application the moment they receive your application. If you applied online, this begins once you’ve officially submitted your application; if on paper, the moment your application arrives in their mailroom.
This article will cover how processing times for various application types have changed over the course of approximately one year.
Permanent residence applications
Express Entry
Foreign nationals—if eligible—may obtain permanent residency through one of the three federal immigration programs under the Express Entry system, including:
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); and
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FTSP).
Processing times for each program under the Express Entry system vary.
In the table below, you can see how processing times for each program changed over the course of approximately one year.
Processing times for Express Entry applications have, as a whole, seen the least change in comparison to other temporary and permanent residence applications during this period.
*IRCC has not published data pertaining to current processing times for the FSTP at the time of this writing.
IRCC service standard: 180 days.
Provincial Nominee Program
You can get permanent residency in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) through either an enhanced stream (Express Entry-aligned) or a base stream (non-Express Entry-aligned).
Processing times differ depending on whether you are applying via Express Entry or not.
Below you will find a table outlining IRCC’s processing times as they were on June 25, 2024 and what they are at the time of this writing.
The processing time for PNP applications through the Express Entry system has not changed considerably over the past year, whereas the processing time for applications that were not done via the Express Entry system has nearly doubled.
IRCC service standards:
The service standards above are the only ones IRCC provides in relation to PNP applications.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Foreign nationals can settle in one of Atlantic Canada’s four provinces, provided they have a job offer from a designated employer and meet all other eligibility criteria, by obtaining permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
One of the major benefits associated with the AIP is that you can apply for a special temporary work permit through the AIP that allows you to start working while your application is processed. This permit is valid for two years and is employer-specific, meaning you can only work for the employer on your job offer.
Note: IRCC does not publish service standards for AIP applications.
Spousal sponsorship
Through spousal sponsorship, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residency in Canada.
Processing times for spousal sponsorship vary depending on
The most notable shift in IRCC processing times among the four categories is for SCLPC applicants planning to reside outside Quebec, who now face a nearly 20-month increase in wait time.
IRCC service standard: 12 months for Family Class overseas (priority).
There is no published service standard for SCLPC applications.
Temporary residence applications
Visitor visas
While some foreign nationals are visa-exempt, others require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), or visitor visa, to temporarily enter the country.
You can apply for a visitor visa from outside Canada or from within Canada, though majority of visitor visas are issued to foreign nationals applying from abroad.
Most individuals must apply online unless they require accommodation.
Inside Canada
Outside Canada
The period of time it takes to process a visitor visa application from outside Canada depends on the country you are applying from.
Included in the table below are the processing times for five countries that are among the top sources of foreign nationals visiting Canada on June 25, 2024 versus the time of writing.
Processing times have decreased for all included source countries except for the Philippines.
Nigeria has the most dramatic decrease in processing time when compared to other countries discussed.
IRCC service standard: 14 days for applications submitted outside Canada.
IRCC has not published data specific to in-Canada TRV applications.
Visitor records
This document allows you to extend or change your status while in Canada. You can only apply for a visitor record from within the country, and most people are required to apply online unless they need accommodation.
Work permits
In most cases, you need a work permit to legally work in Canada unless you are exempt.
Processing times vary depending on whether you’re applying from within or outside Canada.
The majority of individuals applying for a work permit must submit an application from outside Canada, and processing times for such applications are country-dependent.
IRCC allows foreign nationals to submit work permit applications from within the country if they meet certain eligibility requirements.
Inside Canada
Those who submitted an online application for a work permit from inside Canada near June 2024’s end could expect a processing time of 101 days (14 weeks and three days).
Comparatively, IRCC’s current processing time for initial and extension applications made from within Canada is 238 days—more than twice what it used to be.
Note: IRCC’s published processing times for in-Canada applications includes both initial applications as well as extensions.
The processing time for work permits from outside Canada depends on the country you are submitting an application from.
Below you can find a table comparing the processing times for the same five countries previously mentioned, on both June 25, 2024 and at the time of this writing.
As you can see, the processing times for all five countries have decreased, with significant changes seen in the case of Pakistan and the Philippines.
IRCC service standards:
To legally study in Canada, you typically need a study permit—though IRCC outlines certain scenarios in which you don’t on their official page.
Study permit processing times vary depending on whether the application is submitted from within Canada or abroad.
Of note is that the processing time for study permit applications made outside Canada is country dependent. While current-day data provides processing times based on country, there is no such available data to reference for June 25, 2024.
Inside Canada
If you submitted an application for a study permit from within Canada on June 25, 2024, you could—on average—expect to receive a decision on your application within 14 weeks.
Currently, the processing time for study permit applications made from inside the country is five weeks, meaning IRCC has halved their processing time for such applications over the past year.
Outside Canada
CIC News does not have country-specific data on processing times for study permit applications from June of 2024.
IRCC service standards:
Study permit extensions: The processing time for study permit extensions has also changed considerably over the past year.
Citizenship and proof of citizenship
Citizenship grants
In order to obtain Canadian citizenship, you must apply for a citizenship grant. Only permanent residents meeting certain eligibility criteria can do so.
When compared to approximately one year ago, processing times for citizenship grants have increased.
Note: IRCC does not differentiate between in-Canada and out-of-Canada application processing times for citizenship grants.
IRCC service standard: 12 months.
Citizenship certificates (proof of citizenship)
A citizenship certificate is an official document issued to Canadian citizens as proof of their Canadian citizenship.
It is not automatically given to you once you gain Canadian citizenship—you must apply for it. This is typically relevant if you were born outside Canada and have gained citizenship by descent at birth.
Processing times for such applications are typically shorter in comparison to economic immigration and temporary residence applications, particularly if you live within Canada or the US.
IRCC advises you add three to four months to the expected processing time if you live outside Canada or the US or are applying via a Canadian embassy, high commission, or consulate.
If you are a minor living outside the US or Canada or you sent your application directly to the Case Processing Center in Sydney (Nova Scotia), they recommend adding six to eight months to the expected processing time.
Processing times versus service standards
There is a difference between processing times and service standards.
Processing times
The processing time for an application type is an estimate of the length of time a typical applicant can expect their application to take to process, measured from the date it is received by IRCC up until the date that a decision is rendered.
IRCC regularly updates its published processing times based on historical data and on current application inventories.
These are estimates only; any individual application may be processed more or less quickly than that posted estimate.
Service standards
Service standards are IRCC's internal targets for the length of time it aims to process applications within.
A service standard for a given application type means that IRCC aims to process 80% of that type of application within the service standard—this allows for 20% of applications to exceed service standards, as IRCC expects that around this proportion of applications will be more complex and require additional time for officers to process.
Service standards are targets only: There is no guarantee that your application will be processed within IRCC's service standards, nor is there any guarantee that IRCC will hit its service standard target.
