Wait times decline for work permit and study permit extensions
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its temporary residence processing times on Oct. 29, reporting shorter wait times across several application categories.
The most pronounced declines were observed for:
- Visitor records: Down 20 days.
- Study permit extensions: Down two weeks.
- Work permit extensions: Down two weeks.
- Study permits: Down one week for applicants from Canada, Pakistan, and the U.S.
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IRCC's latest update showed only two minor increases in processing times, affecting visitor visa applicants from India and super visa applicants from the Philippines.
This article highlights changes in IRCC’s temporary residence processing time estimates over the past week, comparing figures published on Oct. 29 with those released on Oct. 21.
The department is expected to publish its next update on or around Nov. 4.
Work permits
IRCC’s Oct. 29 update brought no changes to work permit processing times for any of the countries tracked, marking the first such week in at least five months.
| Applying from: | Current (Oct. 29) | Previous (Oct. 21) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 16 weeks | 16 weeks |
| India | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Pakistan | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 6 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 decreased by one week for applications submitted from within Canada, Pakistan and the U.S.
| Applying from: | Current (Oct. 29) | Previous (Oct. 21) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 6 weeks | 7 weeks |
| India | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Pakistan | 6 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 4 weeks | 5 weeks |
| Philippines | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days.
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days.
Visitor visas
Visitor visa processing times fell for applicants from Pakistan and Nigeria, while wait times for applicants from India increased.
| Applying from: | Current (Oct. 29) | Previous (Oct. 21) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 12 days | 12 days |
| India | 31 days | 29 days |
| Pakistan | 59 days | 63 days |
| Nigeria | 105 days | 106 days |
| United States | 18 days | 18 days |
| Philippines | 25 days | 25 days |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A.
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days.
Super visas
The Philippines was the only tracked country to see super visa processing times rise, as wait times fell for India, Pakistan, Nigeria and the U.S.
| *Applying from: | Current (Oct. 29) | Previous (Oct. 21) |
|---|---|---|
| India | 82 days | 83 days |
| Pakistan | 99 days | 104 days |
| Nigeria | 30 days | 34 days |
| United States | 74 days | 75 days |
| Philippines | 106 days | 103 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.
Processing times fell across all three categories, led by study permit extensions.
| Application type | Current (Oct. 29) | Previous (Oct. 21) |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit extension | 11 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Study permit extension | 6 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Visitor record | 321 days | 341 days |
The timeline for work permit extensions is applicable to post-graduation work permits, bridging open work permits, and changes to work permit conditions.
IRCC's processing inventory as of Oct. 29 included 195,900 (-4,200) work permit extension applications and 25,900 (-1,900) study permit extension applications.
Processing times vs. service standards
IRCC uses two distinct measures to provide information about application processing timelines: processing times and service standards.
Processing times estimate the period applicants may have to wait for a decision after submitting a new application. These estimates are not guarantees and do not represent firm deadlines or maximum wait times.
IRCC publishes two types of processing time estimates:
- Historical processing times: Calculated using the period in which 80% of previously processed applications were finalized.
- Forward-looking processing times: Calculated using the number of applications still awaiting decisions and the department's capacity to process them.
Service standards differ in that they represent the department's operational goals. Under normal circumstances, IRCC aims to finalize 80% of applications within the established timeframe for each category.
An application may be processed faster or slower than either figure suggests. The time required depends on factors such as the complexity of the case, pending application volumes, processing resources, additional document requests, and verification procedures.
Processing time estimates for temporary residence applications are generally updated weekly, compared with monthly updates for permanent residence and citizenship. Applications. Service standards change less frequently, with the most recent revisions to temporary residence standards dating back to 2018–2019.
From January through August 2026, IRCC finalized 2,076,745 temporary residence applications, while its inventory of pending applications stood at more than 365,425 as of Aug. 31.
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