It is only natural that when you apply for a Canadian visa or permit, one fo the most important questions that follows is “how long will it take to process my application?”. How long a Canadian visa application takes varies depending on a number of factors including what type of visa or permit you are applying for, whether you have submitted the right supporting documents and which country you are applying from.
What are processing times?
Processing times for Canada visas and permits tell you how long you can expect your application for a visa, permit, citizenship or other immigration matter to take to be reviewed and receive a decision under normal circumstances.
Your application’s estimated processing time starts on 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.
Factors which can affect the processing time of your application include:
- 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 Canada Visa Processing Time
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 |
5 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 | 17 – 139 days (visitor visa processing time varies significantly based on your nationality) |