Work Permit Wait Times Rise in Latest IRCC Update

Canada’s immigration department has updated its latest processing time estimates, showing that several temporary residence applicants may now face longer waits.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated its timelines on May 26 for work permits, study permits, visitor visas, and super visas. The latest figures show only small improvements in some areas, while several categories have remained the same or become slower compared with the previous update on May 20.

Work Permit Delays Increase

Work permit applicants saw some of the most noticeable changes in the latest update.

Applications submitted from inside Canada improved slightly, falling from 206 days to 201 days. However, applicants applying from India and Nigeria saw longer estimated wait times.

For India-based work permit applications, the processing time increased from nine weeks to 10 weeks. Nigeria saw a sharper rise, moving from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. Processing times for Pakistan, the United States, and the Philippines remained unchanged at six weeks, five weeks, and eight weeks, respectively.

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

Study Permit Times Mostly Stable

Study permit processing times showed little movement in the latest update.

Applications submitted from inside Canada remained at six weeks. India stayed at four weeks, Pakistan at seven weeks, Nigeria at six weeks, and the United States at five weeks.

The Philippines was the only tracked country to see an improvement. Study permit processing time for Philippines-based applications dropped from five weeks to four weeks.

IRCC’s service standard for study permits is 120 days for in-Canada applications and 60 days for applications submitted from outside Canada.

Visitor Visa Waits Shift Slightly

Visitor visa timelines also changed during the week.

Applications from inside Canada saw a notable increase, rising from 16 days to 25 days. The United States increased slightly from 25 days to 26 days, while the Philippines moved from 20 days to 21 days.

India remained unchanged at 28 days, and Nigeria stayed at 48 days. Pakistan was the only listed country to see a drop, with processing time falling from 50 days to 49 days.

IRCC lists a 14-day service standard for visitor visa applications submitted from outside Canada.

Super Visa Processing Improves for Most

Super visa applications improved for most featured countries, except the Philippines.

India moved from 117 days to 116 days. Pakistan dropped from 75 days to 74 days, while Nigeria fell from 37 days to 36 days. The United States saw the biggest improvement, dropping from 115 days to 106 days.

The Philippines increased slightly, from 32 days to 33 days. Super visa applications cannot be submitted from inside Canada. IRCC’s service standard for super visas is 112 days.

What Applicants Should Know

IRCC processing times are estimates, not guarantees. Actual wait times can change depending on application volumes, staffing, seasonal demand, backlogs, and the details of each case.

The department uses historical estimates based on past results and forward-looking estimates based on current inventory and capacity. Service standards are internal targets, usually aiming to finalize about 80 per cent of applications within a set time.