Canada updates wait times for permanent residence and citizenship applicants
On August 10, Canada's immigration department refreshed its processing time estimates for various permanent residence (PR) and citizenship application types, revealing improvements across several categories.
Most notably, those seeking PR under Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) now face shorter wait times.
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Among the categories covered in the update, the base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was the sole category to see timelines lengthen, despite the government reducing the queue by 1,400 applications.
This article looks at the latest processing estimates for economic, family sponsorship, and citizenship applications and how they compare with previous figures from July 7.
PR: economic immigration
Wait times were largely unchanged from July to August, with the exception of a decrease for FSWP applicants and an increase for those under the base PNP.
Express Entry
As of the most recent update, applicants under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the FSWP now face the same wait time.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 6 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | N/A* | N/A* |
*Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does not publish processing times for FSTP applications, citing “not enough data.”
IRCC service standard: Six months across all Express Entry programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- CEC: 59,700 (-1,800).
- FSWP: 52,400 (-3,400).
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Provincial Nominee Program
Even as the federal government processed 1,400 base PNP applications, the wait time increased by one month. Enhanced PNP applicants, on the other hand, saw no change in wait time.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Through Express Entry (enhanced) | 7 months | 7 months |
| Non-Express Entry (base) | 13 months | 12 months |
Service standard: Six months for enhanced PNP applications; 11 months for base PNP applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Enhanced applications: 11,800 (-300).
- Base applications: 102,400 (-1,400).
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Quebec immigration
Processing times for the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) and the Quebec Business Class (QBC) remain unchanged, despite the government processing 1,000 PSTQ applications since July 7.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) | 11 months | 11 months |
| Quebec Business Class (QBC) | 75 months | 75 months |
Service standard: Six months for PSTQ applicants; unpublished for QBC applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- PSTQ: 21,200 (-1,000).
- QBC: 3,700 (unchanged).
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Atlantic Immigration Program
While 200 applications were removed from the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) queue since last month, the program’s wait time has not shifted.
| Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|
| 26 months | 26 months |
Service standard: 11 months.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment: 12,100 (-200).
Other economic programs
The Federal Self-Employed Persons Program and Start-up Visa (SUV) program continue to carry wait times exceeding a decade, with the former having been categorized as “no longer fit for purpose” by the Canadian government.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up Visa (SUV) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
| Federal Self-Employed Persons Program | 10+ years | 10+ years |
Service standards are not available for the above programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- SUV: 47,600 (+100).
- Federal Self-Employed Persons Program: 8,000 (unchanged).
PR: family sponsorship
Spousal sponsorship processing times remained unchanged, while those seeking to sponsor their parents or grandparents now face shorter waits.
Outside Quebec
Wait times for family sponsorship outside Quebec showed little movement, with just the PGP showing a one-month decrease.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 27 months | 27 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 17 months | 17 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) | 29 months | 30 months |
Service standard: 12 months for sponsorship of a spouse/common-law partner outside Quebec; IRCC does not publish standards for other application types.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 56,800 (-100).
- Partner living outside Canada: 58,000 (+3,900).
- Parents and Grandparents: 39,000 (-1,400).
Within Quebec
As with family sponsorship outside Quebec, wait times for applicants planning to settle in Quebec remained stable across all categories except the PGP, which saw a one-month decline.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 32 months | 32 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 33 months | 33 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | 64 months | 65 months |
IRCC does not provide published service standards for those intending to settle within Quebec.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 14,000 (+300).
- Partner living outside Canada: 19,000 (+400).
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,400 (-100).
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Citizenship
The only change observed among the citizenship application types reviewed below was for renunciation of citizenship, where the processing time declined by four months relative to the month prior.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 12 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 4 months | 7 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 17 months | 17 months |
Service standard (grants): 12 months.
IRCC had 328,200 citizenship grant applications in its inventory as of August 10—2,000 more than it did on July 7.
For the latest timeline for proof of citizenship certificates, see our dedicated coverage.
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Processing times versus service standards
Processing times and service standards both provide information about application timelines, but they measure different things.
Processing times are estimates designed to help applicants understand how long a particular type of application may take to process. They are not fixed deadlines, nor do they guarantee that a decision will be made within the stated period.
The actual time required can vary from one application to another depending on factors such as the complexity of the case, whether the application is complete, and whether IRCC must request additional documents, information, or clarification.
IRCC uses two kinds of processing estimates:
- Historical estimates: based on how long it took IRCC to finalize 80% of similar applications in the past; and
- Forward-looking estimates: calculated using the department’s current application inventory and projected processing capacity.
Service standards, on the other hand, are performance targets established by IRCC for certain application types. They indicate the time frame within which the department aims to finalize applications under normal operating conditions.
In general, IRCC’s objective is to process approximately 80% of applications covered by a service standard within the established timeline.
The two measures also differ in how frequently they are updated. Processing times are generally revised monthly for permanent residence and citizenship and weekly for temporary residence, while service standards may remain unchanged for years. Express Entry standards, for example, were last revised in 2019.
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