Work and study permit applicants see declining wait times
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) latest temporary resident processing times update shows notable movement for various application types.
The largest decreases in wait time across all application types was seen for Canada-based study permit applications (two weeks) and US-based super visa submissions (12 days).
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On the other hand, the greatest jump in processing time was seen for Pakistan-based study permit applications (two weeks).
In this article, we cover how processing times for temporary residence applications have changed from April 29 to May 6.
Work permits
Most notably, the processing time for work permit submissions have decreased by one week for Nigerian and US applicants, while Philippines-based applications have seen a one-week increase.
| Applying from: | Current processing time | Processing times as of April 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 212 days | 217 days |
| India | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Nigeria | 6 weeks | 7 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
- International Experience Canada: 56 days
Study permits
The only featured countries to experience a decrease in processing time for study permit applications within the last week include Canada (two weeks) and the US (one weeks)—meanwhile, Pakistan and the Philippines experienced climbs.
| Applying from: | Current processing time | Processing times as of April 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 6 weeks | 8 weeks |
| India | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Pakistan | 11 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Nigeria | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | 4 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
Visitor visas
Visitor visa processing times have either increased modestly (by no more than two days) or remained the same for all featured countries.
| Applying from: | Current processing time | Processing times as of April 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 11 days | 11 days |
| India | 27 days | 27 days |
| Pakistan | 50 days | 48 days |
| Nigeria | 47 days | 45 days |
| United States | 22 days | 22 days |
| Philippines | 18 days | 17 days |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days
Super visas
All countries below, except Pakistan, have seen a decrease in processing time for super visa submissions, with the most significant dip attributable to US-based applications (12 days).
| Applying from: | Current processing time | Processing times as of April 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| India | 160 days | 168 days |
| Pakistan | 107 days | 102 days |
| Nigeria | 35 days | 37 days |
| United States | 103 days | 115 days |
| Philippines | 32 days | 34 days |
Service standard: 112 days
What is the difference between processing times and service standards?
Processing times and service standards are closely related but distinct concepts within IRCC’s immigration framework.
Processing times estimate how long applicants can expect to wait for a decision on their application after submission. For online applications, the timeline begins immediately (based on submission timestamp), while paper applications begin processing once they enter IRCC’s mailroom.
IRCC provides two types of processing estimates:
- Historical estimates, based on the time required to finalize most applications (80%) within a given category.
- Forward-looking estimates, which rely on current inventories and projected processing capacity.
Service standards serve a different purpose. Rather than predicting wait times, they establish IRCC’s internal goals for operational performance. In most cases, the department aims to finalize approximately 80% of applications within the stated standard, while more complex cases may require additional review and exceed the target.
Processing times are updated frequently, either weekly or monthly, depending on the application type. Service standards, however, are revised much less often, with the latest updates for temporary residence applications dating back to 2018 and 2019.
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