Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) processing times for immigration applications
As of March 31, processing times are as follows:
Economic Class Immigration
- Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 7 months
- Express Entry: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 27 months
- Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): 27 months
- Express Entry: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 22 months
- Non-Express Entry aligned PNP: 27 months
- Federal Self Employed persons: 42 months
- Atlantic Immigration Program: 14 months
- Start-up Visa: 31 months
- Caregiver pilots: no processing time available
Family Class Immigration
- Spouse or common-law partner living in Canada: 16 months
- Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada: 19 months
- Parents or grandparents: 32 months
- Dependent child: varies by country
- Adopted child or relative: varies by country
Temporary residence application
- Visitor visa outside Canada: varies by country
- Visitor visa inside Canada: 16 days on-line and 48 days by paper
- Visitor extension: 162 days on-line and 201 days by paper
- Parents or grandparents super visa: varies by country
- Study permit outside Canada: 13 weeks
- Study permit extension: 75 days on-line and 156 days by paper
- Work permit outside Canada: varies by country
- Work permit inside Canada (initial application or extension): 133 days on-line and 239 days by paper
- International Experience Canada: varies by country
- Electronic Travel Authorization: 5 minutes
Citizenship
- Citizenship grant: 72 months
- Citizenship certificate (Proof of citizenship): 17 months
- Resumption of citizenship: 23 months
- Renunciation of citizenship: 15 months
- Search of citizenship record: 15 months
- Adoption: 11 months for part 1; part 2 varies on complexity
Permanent resident (PR) cards
- renewing or replacing a PR card: 108 days
- waiting for first card: 103 days
Replacing or amending documents, verifying status
- verification of status: 26 weeks
- replacement of valid temporary resident documents: 22 weeks
- amendments of immigration documents: 47 weeks
- amendments of valid temporary resident documents: 27 week
IRCC measures processing times based on how long it took to process 80% of the applications in the past. Processing times start the day IRCC receives a complete application and ends when an immigration officer makes a decision on it.
For those who apply by mail, the processing time starts when their complete application arrives in an IRCC mail room. For those who apply online or in person, the processing time starts when they submit their application.
