Canada cuts wait times for temporary visas and permits, i.e., Canada’s immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, has shared its latest processing times for temporary residence applications. The new data shows that waiting times have improved in many categories.
Over the past month, several important changes have been recorded:
- Work permits: a 13-week reduction for applications submitted from Pakistan
- Super visas: at least a 20-day drop for applications from India and the United States
- Visitor visas: a two-week reduction for applicants from India
- Study permits: a one-week decrease for applicants from India, Nigeria, and the United States
Super visa processing times have continued to improve for all listed countries, showing a steady downward trend.
This article compares processing times between March 24 and April 15 to show how things have changed in about one month.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
Work Permit Processing Updates
Over this period, the biggest improvement in work permit processing times has been seen for applications submitted from Pakistan, which dropped by 13 weeks. Smaller improvements were also seen for applications submitted from within Canada and the United States.
| Applying From: | Processing Time As Of March 24 | Current Processing Time |
| Canada | 255 days | 240 days |
| India | 7 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Pakistan | 29 weeks | 16 weeks |
| Nigeria | 13 weeks | 13 weeks |
| United States | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Philippines | 7 weeks | 7 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
- International Experience Canada permit submissions: 56 days
Study Permit Wait Times
Study permit processing times have improved slightly for some countries. Applications from India, Nigeria, and the United States are now being processed one week faster. However, applications from Pakistan have seen a small increase in wait time.
| Applying From: | Processing Time As Of March 24 | Current Processing Time |
| Canada | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| India | 4 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Pakistan | 11 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Nigeria | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
Visitor Visa Processing Trends
Most countries have seen faster processing times for visitor visas. The largest improvements were recorded for applications from India and Nigeria.
| Applying From: | Processing Time As Of March 24 | Current Processing Time |
| Canada | 12 days | 10 days |
| India | 37 days | 23 days |
| Pakistan | 48 days | 43 days |
| Nigeria | 52 days | 42 days |
| United States | 15 days | 18 days |
| Philippines | 14 days | 15 days |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days
Super Visa Processing Improvements
Super visa wait times have improved across all countries in the past month. The biggest changes were seen for applications from India and the United States, both showing a reduction of nearly three weeks.
| Applying From: | Processing Time As Of March 24 | Current Processing Time |
| India | 202 days | 182 days |
| Pakistan | 122 days | 107 days |
| Nigeria | 43 days | 39 days |
| United States | 185 days | 164 days |
| Philippines | 50 days | 37 days |
Service standard: 112 days
Note: Super visa applications cannot be submitted from within Canada.
Understanding Processing Times vs Service Standards
Processing times and service standards are not the same and should not be confused.
Processing times shared by IRCC show how long it may take to get a decision after submitting an application. For online applications, the count starts from the day of submission. For paper applications, it starts when the application reaches the office.
There are two types of processing times:
- Historical: based on past data and shows how long it took to complete 80% of similar applications. These numbers are updated every week
- Forward-looking: based on current applications in the system, including how many are waiting and how fast they are being processed
Service standards, on the other hand, are targets set by IRCC. These targets aim to process 80% of applications within a certain time. The remaining 20% may take longer due to more complex cases.
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