IRCC Processing Times

Forward-looking Vs. Backward-looking Metrics

IRCC estimates processing times using two primary methods: forward-looking and backward-looking. On May 1, 2024, some applications switched to the forward-looking (expected) processing times. The forward-looking processing times are updated monthly, and its metrics consider:

• The overall quantity of a specific application type the IRCC must handle
• The amount the IRCC anticipates processing each month

Here are the application types showing forward-looking processing times:

• Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry and non-Express Entry)
• Federal skilled workers (Express Entry)
• Canadian experience class (Express Entry)
• Quebec Skilled Workers
• Citizenship grants
• Parents or grandparents
• Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)
• Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada
• Spouse or common law or conjugal partner residing outside Canada

The forward-looking processing times metrics provide more real-time estimates on how long you should wait for IRCC to decide on your application. Or how long you should wait to take the citizenship oath (if you’re applying for a citizenship grant). However, the forward-looking processing times may change as IRCC adjusts their policies or resources. If you apply by mail, your application’s processing begins when the IRCC receives your complete application in their mail room. But if you apply in-person or online, your processing time starts when you submit your application.

The backward-looking processing times are based on historical data. They are calculated using the period IRCC took to process 80% of previous applications in the last 8 or 16 weeks for temporary residence programs and 6 months for permanent residence programs. These estimates help applicants understand general trends but do not account for future policy changes or workload fluctuations. The backward-looking processing times begin from the day IRCC receives your complete application until the date they decide on it.

Importance of These Metrics for Planning Applications

When making immigration-related decisions, processing time metrics are crucial for applicants, employers, and educational institutions. If you apply for study or work permits, they help you align your timelines with school start dates or job offers.

Employers hiring global talent rely on accurate estimates to ensure workers arrive on time. Additionally, Express Entry applicants monitor IRCC updates to assess their chances of obtaining an Invitation to Apply (ITA). These metrics help applicants prepare for potential delays, submit their applications promptly, and adjust relocation or travel plans accordingly, reducing uncertainty in the immigration process.

Permanent Residence (PR) Applications

Here are breakdowns of processing times for permanent residency applications:

Express Entry Programs

Express Entry is an online system that helps foreign national skilled workers to seek and obtain permanent residency in Canada. They include programs such as Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Applicants under the Express Entry typically receive decisions on their applications within 6 months after submitting a complete application. However, the IRCC can take 1 to 2 years to process Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) paper-based applications, as they require both provincial and federal approval.

Family Sponsorship

Family sponsorship allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents to bring their relatives to live, study, work, and become permanent residents of Canada. The processing time for a spouse or common-law partner living in Canada outside Quebec is currently 28 months, while it is 34 months for a spouse or common-law partner living in Canada inside Quebec.

The processing time for parents or grandparents living in Canada outside Quebec is 24 months. In contrast, the processing time for parents or grandparents living in Canada inside Quebec is 48 months.

Temporary Resident Applications

Here are breakdowns of processing times under temporary resident applications:

Visitor Visa

A Visitor visa, also called a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is designed for visa nationals intending to visit Canada temporarily. This visa is valid for 6 months. The processing time for a Visitor Visa application within Canada is 23 days. It broadly varies and depends on the country from which the applicant is applying for the Canada Visitor Visa applications submitted outside Canada.

Study Permit

A study permit is a document Canadian immigration authorities issue to all foreign nationals intending to study in a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada for more than 6 months. The processing time for study permit applications from within Canada is 3 weeks. However, the processing time for study permit applications submitted from outside Canada broadly varies and depends on the country from which the applicant is applying.

Work Permit

A work permit is a legal document that empowers a foreign national to work in Canada. IRCC processes work permits from inside Canada (initial and extension applications) in up to 117 days. However, the processing time for work permits from outside Canada varies broadly depending on the applicant’s country of application.

Citizenship Applications

Here are the processing times for citizenship applications:

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to visa-exempt foreign nationals entering Canada by air. With this travel document, visa-exempt foreign nationals can stay in Canada for up to 6 months or at the discretion of a border services officer. The eTA is valid for up to 5 years or when your passport expires (whichever comes first).

An eTA doesn’t allow visa-exempt foreign nationals to work or study in Canada. Foreign nationals must obtain a work or study permit to work or study for more than 6 months in Canada. The IRCC processes an eTA application within minutes and sends applicants their approval via email. However, if IRCC requires more information about your application, they can take several days to process it.

IRCC Draw Results Impact

Below is how Express Entry draws and program-specific programs affect overall processing times:

Express Entry Draws and Processing Backlogs

When IRCC holds more frequent or larger Express Entry draws, processing times for Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Provincial Nominee (PNP) applicants may increase due to higher application volume. PNP applicants must wait longer most times as provincial and federal governments must process their applications, affecting the processing time.

Program-specific Impacts

Targeted draws, such as STEM workers, healthcare professionals and other category-based selections, may affect wait times for certain applicant groups. Additionally, family sponsorship programs use an annual quota system, fluctuating the processing times depending on the available spots.

Applicant Location and Seasonal Trends

Due to the increased application volume, individuals from high-demand countries, such as Nigeria, India, and the Philippines, may need to wait longer. Also, the visa offices in different countries process applications at different rates based on local workloads and staffing levels.

Other factors, such as seasonal trends, affect processing times, including:

• Government holidays and policy changes can cause temporary slowdowns or processing suspensions.
• Peak or high-demand seasons, such as year-end for Visitor Visas and summer for study permits, may lead to a longer delay.

Application Completeness and Accuracy

Applicants make some application mistakes, resulting in the delay or denial of their submissions. Here are common errors causing delays and tips to avoid them:

Incomplete Documentation

If applicants submit incomplete documentation, the IRCC may need to wait longer to process their applications. In this case, the IRCC must return the applications to the applicants, alongside a letter and a checklist, to provide all the missing documents. To avoid submitting incomplete documentation, use the document checklist and gather all the required documents. After assembling all the required documents, double-check them to ensure you don’t miss anything.

Falsification of Information

Sometimes, applicants provide false or misleading information to obtain a visa, permanent residency or citizenship for which they don’t qualify in normal circumstances. Providing incorrect or misleading information in your application can suggest your intention to deceive the immigration authorities, resulting in a delay or denial of your application. Ensure that the information you include in your application is accurate to avoid a delay or refusal of your application.

Errors in Forms

Errors in your application form can delay the time IRCC takes to process your submission. These errors include incorrect personal details, misspelling your name, and completing the application form wrongly, can delay application processing time. To avoid these errors in your application form, ensure you complete the form appropriately. Double-check your application form to ensure the information you included is spelled accurately and at their designated places.

Failure to Track Your Application

After you submit your application, the IRCC may require additional documents to process it. Respond to any requests or concerns from the IRCC to assist them in processing your application as quickly as possible. Ensure you track your application after submitting it to provide the IRCC with the necessary resources to process it promptly (if applicable).

Tools for Monitoring Progress

Here are the tools you can use to track your application’s progress:

IRCC Processing Time Calculator

IRCC offers an online processing time calculator that provides estimated wait times (using backward and forward-looking approaches) for various application types. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using the IRCC processing time calculator:

• Visit the IRCC website and go to the processing times page.
• Choose your application type, such as Temporary residence (for studying, visiting, and working), Economic immigration, Family sponsorship, Citizenship, and more.
• Select the subdivision of the application type you chose. For instance, if you selected Temporary residence as your application type, you need to choose the temporary residence application you want to apply for, such as:
  • Visitor Visa (from outside or inside Canada)
  • Study permit (from outside or inside Canada)
  • Study permit extension
  • Super Visa (for parents or grandparents) and more.
• Choose the country you’re applying from if you’re not applying inside Canada.
• Find the estimated processing time, which the IRCC updates regularly based on real-time data.

IRCC Draw Tracker and Its Relevance

The IRCC draw Tracker is a tool that helps potential Canadian immigrants follow up on the latest Express Entry draws the IRCC conducted. It allows applicants to know when the IRCC will make the next draw and the candidates likely to be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency depending on their points score and profile in the Express Entry pool.

Interpreting Application Status Updates

Understanding the different stages in the IRCC’s application process is crucial for tracking progress. You can get application status updates using your application status tracker. However, you can only access your application status updates after receiving an email or letter acknowledging your application’s receipt (Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)) from the IRCC.

While waiting for the AOR, you can only see the date IRCC received your application, your contact information, and your sponsor’s name (if applicable). The IRCC must have received your application and checked its completeness before they send you an AOR. Common status updates include:

• Received: IRCC has received your submission but has not started processing it yet.
• In progress: Your application is under review now, and document verification, background checks, and biometric processing are ongoing. You can also track the progress of each of your application sections.
• Closed: This can mean that the IRCC has approved or refused your application. Or you have abandoned it or cancelled (withdrew) it.

Key Steps to Avoid Delays

Here are the key steps to avoid delays in your application processing times:

Preparing Complete Applications

Missing or incomplete documentation is one of the most common reasons for processing delays. IRCC must decide on your application, but with an incomplete application, they can’t make a well-informed decision on your case. Therefore, to avoid this, you must:

• Follow the IRCC’s document checklist for citizenship, residency or visa application.
• Complete all application forms appropriately, and sign on the designated section.
• Include all required documents in your application.
• Double-check your name spelling and review your passport’s dates and details to avoid errors that could require additional verification steps.

Responding Promptly to IRCC Requests for Information

Sometimes, the IRCC may request additional information for verification purposes. If they request additional documents, such as medical or police certificates, submit them immediately to prevent application delays.

Also, check your email and IRCC online account for requests and updates. If you anticipate a delay in providing the IRCC-requested documents, inform them immediately to avoid potential refusal.

Using Expedited Services

Some applicants can qualify for expedited services to enter Canada through fast-track programs, including:

Global Talent Stream

Canadian employers can quickly hire highly skilled foreign workers through the Global Talent Stream (GTS) to address labour shortages in the country. If Canada’s Global Talent Program recognizes a Canadian employer, qualified applicants can obtain work permits through this program.

IRCC takes only 2 weeks to process this application. To qualify for this expedited program as a foreign national:

• You must have a job offer from a recognized Canadian employer
• Your employer should apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• You should apply for a work permit through the IRCC once your employer’s LMIA is approved.

Express Entry

IRCC takes about 6 months to process Express Entry applications. As an Express Entry applicant:

• Your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score must be competitive to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) faster.
• You must submit a complete application within 60 days of receiving the ITA.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

Some provinces in Canada have PNP streams (not aligned with the Express Entry program) that offer faster processing times for certain occupations that require skilled workers. Your occupation and the province offering this program determine the processing time.