IRCC updates wait times for temporary residence applicants
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released updated wait times for temporary residence applicants on Nov. 4, 2026.
The most notable changes in IRCC’s latest update included the following:
- Work permits: Down three weeks for applicants in the U.S.
- Study permits: Up two weeks for applicants in Canada; up one week for applicants in Nigeria; down one week for applicants in Pakistan.
- Work permit extensions: Down one week.
- Visitor records: Down 11 days.
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Since its previous update, IRCC also reports 5,200 fewer work permit and study permit applications in its inventory—including 4,800 fewer work permit applications and 400 fewer study permit applications.
This article examines the differences between IRCC’s temporary residence processing times published on Oct. 29 and those released on Nov. 4.
IRCC is expected to publish revised estimates on or around Nov. 11.
Work permits
Among the six countries examined, only the U.S. experienced a change in work permit processing times, with the estimated processing period declining by half.
| Applying from: | Current (Nov. 4) | Previous (Oct. 29) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 16 weeks | 16 weeks |
| India | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Pakistan | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 3 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days.
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days.
Study permits
Study permit processing times rose for Canada and Nigeria, while declining for Pakistan. At five weeks, Pakistan's estimate is its lowest since at least June, in contrast to Nigeria's 11-week estimate, which is its highest over that period.
| Applying from: | Current (Nov. 4) | Previous (Oct. 29) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 8 weeks | 6 weeks |
| India | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Pakistan | 5 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Nigeria | 11 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Philippines | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days.
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days.
Visitor visas
All featured countries apart from Canada and the U.S. saw small fluctuations in visitor visa processing times.
| Applying from: | Current (Nov. 4) | Previous (Oct. 29) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 12 days | 12 days |
| India | 32 days | 31 days |
| Pakistan | 58 days | 59 days |
| Nigeria | 103 days | 105 days |
| United States | 18 days | 18 days |
| Philippines | 24 days | 25 days |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A.
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days.
Super visas
Processing times for super visas edged up across all featured countries, with increases of one to three days.
| *Applying from: | Current (Nov. 4) | Previous (Oct. 29) |
|---|---|---|
| India | 85 days | 82 days |
| Pakistan | 101 days | 99 days |
| Nigeria | 33 days | 30 days |
| United States | 75 days | 74 days |
| Philippines | 109 days | 106 days |
Service standard: 112 days.
*Super visa applications can only be submitted from outside Canada.
Extensions
Below are the latest wait times for visitor records, as well as study and work permit extensions submitted from within Canada:
| Application type | Current (Oct. 31) | Previous (Oct. 29) |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit extension | 10 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Study permit extension | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Visitor record | 310 days | 321 days |
The processing time estimate for work permits covers applications for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs), bridging open work permits (BOWPs), and changes to work permit conditions.
As of Oct. 31, IRCC reported 191,100 (-4,800) work permit extension applications and 25,500 (-400) study permit extension applications in its inventory.
How IRCC’s processing times and service standards differ
IRCC uses two different benchmarks to communicate application processing timelines: processing times and service standards.
Processing times are estimates of how long it may take the department to reach a decision on a newly submitted application. They do not represent guaranteed turnaround periods or maximum wait times.
The estimates are calculated using one of two methods:
- Historical processing times: Derived from the time taken to finalize 80% of applications processed previously.
- Forward-looking processing times: Determined by the department's current inventory of outstanding applications and the resources available to process them.
Service standards differ in that they represent IRCC's operational targets. These specify how long the department aims to take to finalize 80% of applications under normal processing conditions.
Individual wait times may be shorter or longer than either figure suggests. Factors that can influence processing include the complexity of an application, pending caseloads, resource availability, requests for additional documents, and verification procedures.
Processing time estimates for temporary residence applications are generally updated each week—compared with monthly updates for permanent residence and citizenship applications. Service standards are revised less frequently, with the last temporary residence changes dating to 2018–2019.
IRCC finalized 2,076,745 temporary residence applications between January and August 2026. As of Aug. 31, another 365,425 temporary residence applications were awaiting decisions.
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