IRCC Updates Processing Times for Temporary Residence Applications

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released its latest processing time estimates for newly submitted temporary residence applications.

The update, released on May 20, shows several changes across work permits, study permits, visitor visas and super visas. The biggest improvements were seen in applications from India and Pakistan, while some applicants from Nigeria and the United States are now facing longer waits.

The new figures compare processing times from May 20 with those posted on May 6.

Work permit waits change by country

Work permit applicants inside Canada are now seeing a slightly shorter wait. The estimated processing time dropped from 212 days on May 6 to 206 days on May 20.

Applicants from Pakistan also saw an improvement. Their work permit wait time fell from eight weeks to six weeks, after remaining unchanged since April 29.

However, applicants from Nigeria saw a major increase. Their estimated wait time doubled from six weeks to 12 weeks. India remained unchanged at nine weeks, while the United States stayed at five weeks and the Philippines stayed at eight weeks.

IRCC’s service standard is 120 days for work permit applications submitted inside Canada, including initial applications and extensions. For applications submitted outside Canada, the service standard is 60 days.

Pakistan sees study permit improvement

Study permit processing times were mostly steady, but Pakistan saw a clear improvement.

For applicants from Pakistan, the wait time dropped from 11 weeks to seven weeks. This is a reduction of about one month.

Applicants from Nigeria saw a small increase, with processing time rising from five weeks to six weeks. India remained at four weeks, while inside-Canada applications stayed at six weeks. The United States and the Philippines both remained at five weeks.

IRCC’s service standard for study permits is 120 days for applications submitted inside Canada and 60 days for those submitted outside Canada.

Visitor visa waits rise slightly

Visitor visa processing times increased modestly in most listed countries.

Inside Canada, wait times rose from 11 days to 16 days. India increased from 27 days to 28 days, while Nigeria rose from 47 days to 48 days. The United States increased from 22 days to 25 days, and the Philippines went from 18 days to 20 days.

Pakistan was the only listed country with no change. Its visitor visa processing time remained at 50 days.

IRCC does not list a service standard for visitor visa applications made inside Canada. For applications made outside Canada, the service standard is 14 days.

Super visa timelines fall sharply for some

Super visa applicants from India and Pakistan saw the largest improvements in the latest update.

For Indian applicants, the wait time fell from 160 days to 117 days, a decrease of 43 days. For Pakistani applicants, it dropped from 107 days to 75 days, a decrease of 32 days.

Nigeria rose slightly from 35 days to 37 days. The United States saw a larger increase, moving from 103 days to 115 days. The Philippines remained unchanged at 32 days.

The service standard for super visa applications is 112 days.

Estimates can change often

IRCC processing times are estimates, not guarantees. They are meant to give applicants a general idea of how long applications are taking.

Actual processing times can change because of application volumes, staffing levels, seasonal demand, incomplete documents or requests for more information.

IRCC also uses service standards as internal targets. In most cases, the department aims to finalize about 80 per cent of applications within the listed standard under normal conditions.