IRCC updates wait times for temporary residence applicants

Migration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched upgraded wait times for short-lived home candidates on Nov. 4, 2026.

The most noteworthy modifications in IRCC’s newest upgrade consisted of the following:

• Work allows: Down 3 weeks for candidates in the U.S.
• Research study allows: Up 2 weeks for candidates in Canada; up one week for candidates in Nigeria; down one week for candidates in Pakistan.
• Work license extensions: Down one week.
• Visitor records: Down 11 days.

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Considering that its previous upgrade, IRCC Reports 5,200 less work license and research study allow applications in its stock– consisting of 4,800 less work authorization applications and 400 less research study license applications.

This post analyzes the distinctions in between IRCC’s momentary house processing times released on Oct. 29 and those launched on Nov. 4.

IRCC is anticipated to release modified quotes on or around Nov. 11.

Work allows

Amongst the 6 nations taken a look at, just the U.S. experienced a modification in work allow processing times, with the approximated processing duration decreasing by half.

Using from: Present (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 basic:

• In-Canada submissions (preliminary and extensions): 120 days.
• Outdoors Canada submissions: 60 days.

Research study allows

Research study license processing times increased for Canada and Nigeria, while decreasing for Pakistan. At 5 weeks, Pakistan’s quote is its least expensive because a minimum of June, in contrast to Nigeria’s 11-week quote, which is its greatest over that duration.

Using from: Existing (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 basic:

• In-Canada submissions (preliminary and extensions): 120 days.
• Outdoors Canada submissions: 60 days.

Visitor visas

All highlighted nations apart from Canada and the U.S. saw little variations in visitor visa processing times.

Using from: Existing (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 basic:

• In-Canada submissions: N/A.
• Outdoors Canada submissions: 14 days.

Super visas

Processing times for extremely visas edged up throughout all highlighted nations, with boosts of one to 3 days.

* Applying from: Existing (Nov. 4) Previous (Oct. 29) India 85 days 82 days Pakistan 101 days 99 days Nigeria 33 days 1 month United States 75 days 74 days Philippines 109 days 106 days

Service basic: 112 days.

* Super visa applications can just be sent from outdoors Canada.

Extensions

Below are the most recent wait times for visitor records, along with research study and work allow extensions sent from within Canada:

Application type Existing (Oct. 31) Previous (Oct. 29) Work authorization extension 10 weeks 11 weeks Research study allow extension 6 weeks 6 weeks Visitor record 310 days 321 days

The processing time quote for work allows covers applications for post-graduation work allows (PGWPs), bridging open work allows (BOWPs), and modifications to work license conditions.

Since Oct. 31, IRCC reported 191,100 (-4,800) work license extension applications and 25,500 (-400) research study allow extension applications in its stock.

How IRCC’s processing times and service requirements vary

IRCC utilizes 2 various standards to interact application processing timelines: processing times and service requirements.

Processing times are price quotes of the length of time it might take the department to reach a choice on a recently sent application. They do not represent ensured turn-around durations or optimal wait times.

The price quotes are determined utilizing one of 2 techniques:

• Historic processing times: Derived from the time required to complete 80% of applications processed formerly.
• Positive processing times: Determined by the department’s existing stock of exceptional applications and the resources readily available to process them.

Service requirements vary because they represent IRCC’s functional targets. These define for how long the department intends to require to complete 80% of applications under typical processing conditions.

Private wait times might be much shorter or longer than either figure recommends. Aspects that can affect processing consist of the intricacy of an application, pending caseloads, resource schedule, ask for extra files, and confirmation treatments.

Processing time approximates for momentary home applications are usually upgraded weekly– compared to month-to-month updates for long-term home and citizenship applications. Service requirements are modified less often, with the last momentary house modifications dating to 2018– 2019.

IRCC completed 2,076,745 momentary house applications in between January and August 2026. Since Aug. 31, another 365,425 short-term house applications were waiting for choices.

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