Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its latest update on temporary residence application timelines. The new figures, published on July 15, show that work permit applications are moving faster in several countries.

Among the countries included in the latest update, Nigeria recorded the biggest improvement, with work permit application timelines becoming five weeks shorter.

Work permit applications submitted from within Canada also continued to improve. The timeline has now reached its lowest level in 2026. However, applicants from Pakistan experienced a slight increase, with timelines becoming one week longer.

Apart from work permit updates, the latest report also showed:

  • Super visa application timelines increased by 16 days for applicants from the Philippines and by eight days for applicants from Nigeria.
  • Visitor visa timelines increased by five days for applicants from Pakistan.
  • Study permit application timelines remained unchanged across all listed countries.

The comparison below shows how temporary residence application timelines changed between July 7 and July 15 for six major source countries.

Work Permits

Most countries recorded shorter work permit application timelines. Nigeria saw the largest improvement, while Pakistan was the only country where timelines became longer.

Applying From: Current (July 15) Previous (July 7)
Canada 124 days 127 days
India 9 weeks 9 weeks
Pakistan 7 weeks 6 weeks
Nigeria 6 weeks 11 weeks
United States 3 weeks 4 weeks
Philippines 6 weeks 7 weeks

Service Standards:

  • In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
  • Outside Canada submissions: 60 days

Study Permits

Study permit application timelines remained unchanged for the third week in a row across all featured countries.

Applying From: Current (July 15) Previous (July 7)
Canada 7 weeks 7 weeks
India 5 weeks 5 weeks
Pakistan 6 weeks 6 weeks
Nigeria 5 weeks 5 weeks
United States 5 weeks 5 weeks
Philippines 4 weeks 4 weeks

Service Standards:

  • In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
  • Outside Canada submissions: 60 days

Visitor Visas

Visitor visa application timelines became slightly shorter for applicants applying from Canada and the United States. At the same time, applicants from Nigeria and Pakistan saw their timelines increase.

Applying From: Current (July 15) Previous (July 7)
Canada 34 days 36 days
India 20 days 20 days
Pakistan 39 days 34 days
Nigeria 61 days 59 days
United States 28 days 29 days
Philippines 17 days 17 days

Service Standards:

  • In-Canada submissions: N/A
  • Outside Canada submissions: 14 days

Super Visas

Among the countries listed, only India recorded a shorter super visa application timeline. The Philippines saw the biggest increase, with the timeline becoming more than two weeks longer.

Applying From: Current (July 15) Previous (July 7)
India 50 days 52 days
Pakistan 187 days 179 days
Nigeria 36 days 33 days
United States 126 days 123 days
Philippines 73 days 57 days

Service Standard: 112 days

Note: Super visa applications cannot be submitted from within Canada.

How Application Timelines And Service Standards Differ?

IRCC publishes application timelines to give applicants a general idea of how long it may take to receive a decision on temporary residence, permanent residence, or citizenship applications.

These timelines are only estimates and should not be treated as guaranteed decision dates. The actual time may vary depending on each application.

IRCC uses two methods to prepare these estimates:

  • Historical estimates, which are based on the time taken to complete 80% of similar applications in the past.
  • Forward-looking estimates, which are based on the department’s current workload and its ability to handle applications.

Service standards are different from application timelines. They are internal targets that show how quickly IRCC aims to complete applications under normal conditions. In most cases, the department aims to finalize around 80% of applications within the published service standard.

Actual timelines may be shorter or longer depending on several factors. These include the completeness of an application, the number of applications waiting to be reviewed, operational demands, & whether additional documents or background checks are required.

IRCC updates temporary residence application timelines every week. Permanent residence and citizenship timelines are usually updated once a month, while service standards are reviewed much less often.

The latest update shows positive movement for many work permit applicants, especially those applying from Nigeria and within Canada. Although some categories experienced slightly longer timelines, the overall changes suggest continued improvements in several temporary residence programs.

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