Canada’s Immigration Services has unveiled new processing times for immigration applications, effective from February 5, 2025. These updates, which reflect changes in citizenship applications, permanent resident (PR) cards, family sponsorship, and economic immigration programs, provide a clear picture of how long applicants can expect to wait.
According to Immigration News Canada (INC), these adjustments highlight the importance of planning ahead to avoid delays. With immigration demand consistently high, understanding these timelines allows applicants to prepare necessary documentation and set realistic expectations for their journey to Canada.
How Processing Times Are Determined
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) calculates processing times based on how long it takes to finalize 80% of applications. Several factors influence these timelines, including application completeness, the complexity of individual cases, the volume of applications, and program-specific requirements.
Delays often occur due to missing documents, background checks, or high application volumes. Some immigration pathways require additional security or legal assessments, which may extend processing times beyond standard estimates.
Citizenship and Permanent Resident Card Processing Updates
Canada’s latest immigration updates reveal changes in citizenship and PR card processing:
- The processing time for a citizenship grant has increased to 8 months, up from 7 months in the last update.
- Citizenship certificates remain stable at 3 months.
- Renouncing Canadian citizenship is now 12 months, a reduction of 4 months.
- Requests for a search of citizenship records now take 16 months, an increase of 9 months.
- Processing a new PR card now takes 24 days, a slight improvement of 2 days.
- PR card renewals are now processed in 17 days, down by 1 day.
Family Sponsorship and Economic Immigration Processing
Canada remains committed to family reunification, with family sponsorship processing times remaining stable:
- Sponsorship of a spouse or common-law partner outside Canada takes approximately 10 months, while in Quebec, the wait remains at 36 months.
- The timeline for sponsorship of a spouse or common-law partner inside Canada (excluding Quebec) has increased by 4 months to 28 months.
For economic immigration programs:
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) remains one of the fastest options, maintaining a 5-month processing time.
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) has a 6-month processing timeline.
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) takes 6 months for Express Entry applications and 21 months for non-Express Entry cases.
- Applicants under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program face a 9-month wait, while Quebec Business Class applicants may need to wait 71 months.
- The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) remains steady at 9 months.
Temporary Residency and Visa Processing Updates
Processing times for temporary residency applications, such as visitor visas and work permits, vary by country. Some notable updates include:
Visitor Visas (Outside Canada)
- India: 106 days (up by 2 days)
- United States: 28 days (up by 4 days)
- Nigeria: 153 days (down by 1 day)
- Pakistan: 17 days (down by 1 day)
- Philippines: 18 days (down by 4 days)
Visitor Visa (Inside Canada)
- Processing time has dropped by 9 days to 40 days.
Super Visa Processing
- India: 128 days (up by 3 days)
- United States: 225 days (down by 24 days)
- Nigeria: 44 days (down by 4 days)
- Pakistan: 68 days (down by 7 days)
- Philippines: 136 days (up by 3 days)
Study Permits
- Processing time for study permits outside Canada:
- India: 15 weeks (unchanged)
- United States: 10 weeks (down by 1 week)
- Nigeria: 8 weeks (unchanged)
- Pakistan: 8 weeks (unchanged)
- Philippines: 5 weeks (down by 1 week)
- Study permit extensions now take 112 days, a decrease of 4 days.
Work Permits
- Outside Canada:
- India: 20 weeks (unchanged)
- United States: 15 weeks (down by 1 week)
- Nigeria: 15 weeks (down by 1 week)
- Pakistan: 10 weeks (unchanged)
- Philippines: 5 weeks (unchanged)
- Inside Canada: Processing time has decreased by 5 days to 120 days.
Other temporary residency updates include:
- Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): Immediate approval, typically within 5 minutes.
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP): 8-day processing time.
- International Experience Canada (IEC): 5 weeks (down by 3 weeks).
With these processing time updates, applicants can better plan their immigration journey, ensuring they have all required documents and avoid unnecessary delays. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, checking the official IRCC website remains essential.