Quite often when you apply for a visa or a permit in Canada, an important question that comes to mind is “When will my application be processed?”. The answer to this depends on what type of visa or permit you are applying for, the method of your application, the completeness of your documents and, sometimes, the country you are coming from.
What are processing times?
Processing times tell you how long you can expect it will take to process a visa, permit, citizenship or other immigration application under normal circumstances.
Your application’s estimated processing time starts the day Canadian authorities receive your application and ends when they make a decision. If you apply by mail, the time starts when your application arrives in the mailroom. If you apply online or in-person, it starts when you submit your application.
Various factors can affect the processing time of your application, including:
- the type of application submitted
- if the application contains all the information required to make a decision
- how quickly immigration authorities are able to process other applications they have received
- how easily your information can be verified
- how long you take to respond to any queries about the information you have provided
Average Processing Times for Immigration Programs
As mentioned above, the average processing times for visas, work permits and citizenship applications are affected by a number of factors. Processing times are also subject to change over time, particularly during periods of high demand.
The information below therefore represents an estimated processing time only, based on historical data available to us at time of writing.
| Streams | Average Processing Time |
| Express Entry Programs, including:
· Federal Skilled Worker Program |
6 months from the date of receiving the application.
This does not include time waiting for invitations and nominations |
| Student Permit | Depending on the course and country you are coming from, the processing time is around 1 – 2 weeks at minimum.
It can take up to 3 – 4 months for nationals of some countries. |
| Post-graduation Work Permit | 4 – 6 months |
| Family Sponsorship Visas | 10 – 12 months – Spouse or partner
20 – 24 months – Parents or grandparent |
| Visitor Visa | 75-100 days |
Kunal Thakur
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant R#519955
Kunal Thakur is a passionate Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with close to two decades of immigration experience, during which he has successfully guided thousands of people on their immigration journey. He is quick in responding to client queries and constantly strives to give his clients the best possible advice. Kunal brings immense value to our team with his talks and discourses on immigration. When not in front of his laptop reading and analysing client cases, he enjoys spending his spare time exploring new places and trying new things. Kunal is currently based in Adelaide, Australia. You can book a time with him here.