Processing times rise for permanent residence and citizenship applicants
Canada’s immigration department released updated permanent residence (PR) and citizenship processing times on September 3, showing lengthening wait times for several application types.
Three categories saw processing times rise by one month—the largest increase recorded in the update:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (Express Entry);
- Spousal sponsorship outside Canada, outside Quebec; and
- Search of citizenship records.
By contrast, processing times shortened by one month for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) and for spousal sponsorship within Canada, outside Quebec.
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Many PR applicants residing in Canada have the opportunity to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), which lets them maintain their status while awaiting a decision on their PR application, provided they apply before their current work permit expires—and their spouse or common-law partner may also qualify for an open work permit.
This article examines the latest processing estimates for economic immigration, family sponsorship, and citizenship applications alongside those reported on August 10.
PR: economic immigration
Express Entry
Processing times for FSWP applications rose by one month as the inventory increased by 1,400 applications. CEC timelines saw no change, despite 800 applications being processed since August 10.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 7 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | N/A* | N/A* |
*IRCC does not publish processing times for FSTP applications, citing “not enough data.”
Service standard: Six months across all Express Entry programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- CEC: 58,900 (-800).
- FSWP: 53,800 (+1,400).
Provincial Nominee Program
PNP processing times remained unchanged, despite IRCC processing 900 base applications and adding 1,000 enhanced applications to its inventory.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Through Express Entry (enhanced) | 7 months | 7 months |
| Non-Express Entry (base) | 13 months | 13 months |
Service standard: Six months for enhanced PNP applications; 11 months for base PNP applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Enhanced applications: 12,800 (+1,000).
- Base applications: 101,500 (-900).
Many base PNP applicants can now apply for Bridging Open Work Permits (BOWP)s before receiving Acknowledgement of Receipts (AOR) for their PR application, under a special temporary measure that came into effect on June 9, 2026.
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Quebec immigration
Despite IRCC processing 800 PSTQ applications and no QBC applications over the past month, processing times for both programs remained unchanged.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| 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: 20,400 (-800).
- QBC: 3,700 (unchanged).
Atlantic Immigration Program
Processing times under the AIP remained fixed at 26 months for a fourth consecutive month, even with 300 fewer applications in IRCC’s inventory.
| Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|
| 26 months | 26 months |
Service standard: 11 months.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment: 11,800 (-300).
Other economic programs
Wait times under the Start-Up Visa Program and Federal Self-Employed Persons Program continue to exceed 10 years, as thousands of applications await processing.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Start-Up Visa (SUV) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
| Federal Self-Employed Persons Program (FSEPP) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
Service standards are not available for the above programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- SUV: 47,500 (-100).
- FSEPP: 8,000 (unchanged).
PR: family sponsorship
Outside Quebec
In-Canada spousal and parent or grandparent sponsorship processing times each declined by one month, while out-of-Canada spousal processing increased by one month, mirroring changes in application inventories.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 26 months | 27 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 18 months | 17 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) | 28 months | 29 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: 54,700 (-2,100).
- Partner living outside Canada: 62,600 (+4,600).
- Parents and Grandparents: 37,500 (-1,500).
Within Quebec
Parent and grandparent sponsorship was the only category to see a shorter processing timeline, declining by one month alongside a 100-application drop in inventory.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 63 months | 64 months |
IRCC does not provide published service standards for those intending to settle within Quebec.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 14,200 (+200).
- Partner living outside Canada: 19,200 (+200).
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,300 (-100).
Citizenship
The only change observed among the citizenship application types reviewed below was for search of citizenship records, which saw an one-month increase.
| Application type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 12 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 4 months | 4 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 18 months | 18 months |
Service standard (grants): 12 months.
IRCC’s citizenship grant inventory stood at 327,100 applications as of September 3, down 1,100 from August 10.
For the latest information on proof of citizenship certificate processing times, see our dedicated coverage.
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How processing times and service standards differ
While both processing times and service standards provide information about IRCC application timelines, they measure different aspects of processing.
Processing times give applicants an estimate of how long their type of application may take to finalize. These timelines are not guarantees, and individual cases can take more or less time than the published estimate.
Processing-time estimates may be:
- Historical: Reflects the time required to finalize 80% of comparable applications previously; or
- Forward-looking: Based on IRCC’s current application inventory and projected processing capacity.
Factors such as application completeness, case complexity, and requests for additional information or supporting documents can all affect how long processing takes.
By comparison, service standards are benchmarks IRCC sets for how quickly it intends to process certain types of applications under normal circumstances.
For most programs subject to a service standard, the department aims to process about 80% of applications within the stated target.
Processing times are updated more regularly than service standards.
PR and citizenship timelines are generally revised monthly, while temporary residence timelines are updated weekly. Service standards can remain unchanged for years, including those for Express Entry, which were last revised in 2019.
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