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IRCC has a massive backlog of applicants for visitor visas, study, and work permits. Each country and application category may experience different processing times. Everyone is asking how long it will take. When will my application have a decision issued by the IRCC? I need to come and study, work or visit family or complete an exploratory trip or visit a conference. This is the number one question on everyone’s mind. Is there a solution for all this?
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IRCC is planning a huge flurry of decisions on visitor visas very soon based on an upcoming announcement. Stay tuned for this policy announcement in the coming weeks. Right now it is focusing on visitor visas, but the internal memo of the IRCC could also address other TRVs such as work permits and study permits.
The backlog of the IRCC was more than 2 million as of end 2022, and they want to push this number down to pre-COVID-19 figures. If you have an application for a visitor visa with the IRCC and are not from a high refusal country such as Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and so forth, then you can expect a decision possibly within February. Their processing would be on a first-in/first-out basis, hence processing all the backlog of the older applications which means faster processing times even for more recent applicants since it will clear the path for officers to work on newer applications. The core focus of this new policy will be visitor visas.
Keep in mind that the number 1 applicant source countries for visitor visas to Canada are India and Nigeria. They are also in the top 10 countries of asylum seekers in Canada, which also sometimes affects IRCC officers’ decision-making and approval rates for these two countries.
We will be reviewing actual processing times for various IRCC application categories which we have experienced for the clients we represent. These processing times are before any new policy which may or may not be announced in the coming days and weeks.
The processing times on this page are based on real clients, not on the IRCC website’s published processing times. The processing times for each case may vary based on the overseas embassy, nationality, residency status, immediate family members inside Canada for visitor visas, and other factors pertinent to your specific case.
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Application Type |
IRCC Processing Times From inside Canada |
IRCC Processing Times From outside Canada |
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SOWP NEW Application |
5.5 months |
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SOWP NEW Application |
2 months |
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SOWP Extensions |
6 months |
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Study Permit NEW Application |
Depending on the country from 5 months to |
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Study Permit NEW Application |
2 months |
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Study Permit Extension |
6 days |
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Visitor Visa extension |
8 months |
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Visitor Visa NEW Application |
Depending on the country from 9 months to |
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Visitor Visa NEW Application |
1 month |
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LMIA Global talent stream (not work permit) |
3 weeks |
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LMIA Application low-wage (not work permit) |
1.5 month |
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LMIA Work Permit |
4 months |
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Post-Graduate Work Permit NEW Application (PGWP) |
5 months |
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Spousal Sponsorship PR |
5 months |
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Spousal Sponsorship PR Work Permit |
2.5 months |
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Express Entry (CEC) |
6 months |
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Express Entry (FSW) |
6.5 months |
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Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) , C12 LMIA exempt Work Permit NEW Application |
Flagpole 3-5 hours |
4.5 months |
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Other LMIA exempt work permits |
Flagpole 3-5 hours |
4.5 months |
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Ontario PNP nomination certificate |
3.5 months |
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Ontario PNP nominee PR processing |
11 months |
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Startup Visa PR |
2.5 years |
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Startup Visa Work Permit |
5 months |
4.5 months |
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It is good to understand that IRCC has succumbed to external pressures to deal with the massive backlog of TRVs such as visitor visas, study visas, and work visas. We all agree that it’s the worst immigration backlog in the world. With the new announcement by IRCC expected very soon, these processing times can change very quickly.
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If you’re thinking about immigrating whether permanently or temporarily, through Skilled Immigration, family sponsorship, higher level studies or language studies as a pathway to college or university, LMIA exempt work permits, Free Trade Agreements work permits, Study Visas, Business exploratory trips including PNP, Business purchases, or C10,11 or C12 ICT, non-immigration based Investment in Canada - you’re at the right place! Get a FREE email assessment with us, click here.
