Last Updated on September 6, 2018

Find out how long it currently takes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process immigration applications.

The federal government has changed the way processing times are calculated in order to give candidates a more accurate idea of how long their application could take to conclude.

Previously, processing times for all types of immigration applications were estimated based on how long it took to process 80 per cent of applications in the previous 12 months. This will still be the case for certain applicants.

The new model will consider the number of admissions in the government’s multi-year immigration plana and the number of applications currently in the queue for the given immigration program to estimate how long it will take to process some permanent resident applications who haven’t been submitted yet.

However, only certain types of applications will benefit from the new way of predicting processing times, such as:

• the various Provincial Nomination Programs
• the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program
• the Spouse or Common-law Sponsorship Program
• the Quebec Skilled Worker Program
• the Start-up Visa Program

Permanent Residence Applications Processing Times

• Economic Classes
• Family Sponsorship Class

Temporary Residence Applications Processing Times

Visit, study, work temporarily

What is a complete application package?

Your application package is complete when you have:

• answered all of the questions on the application forms, and
• submitted all the necessary documents along with your application.

If you forget to send a document, your application may be returned to you, the processing of your application may be delayed, or your application may be refused.

What happens after I send in permanent resident application?

To process permanent resident applications, IRCC will:

• review your application to make sure it’s complete,
• determine if you are eligible to apply to become a permanent resident of Canada,
• tell you when your application has been put into processing,
• send you instructions on how to complete a medical exam, if you did not get your medical before sending in your application,
• perform a security screening, to make sure all applicants do not pose a risk to the safety and security of Canadians,
• determine if you need to attend an interview, and
• inform you of the decision made on your application.

What happens after I send in temporary resident application?

To process temporary resident applications, such as visitor visas, study and work permits, IRCC will:

• review your application to make sure it’s complete,
• determine if you are allowed to come to Canada (this could include a background screening),
• determine if you are eligible to apply to work, study or visit Canada
• send you instructions on how to complete a medical exam, if you did not get your medical before sending in your application,
• determine if you need to attend an interview, and
• inform you of the decision made on your application.

If you applied online, CIC will contact you through your MyCIC account.

If you applied on paper, CIC will contact you through the contact information that you entered on your application form.

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.