Canada visa update: Indians get work permit in 16 weeks, PR in 5 months

Canada immigration: Take a look at the latest visa processing times and what they mean for Indian applicants

Indians waiting to go to Canada for study or work may have to prepare for longer wait times, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)'s latest application processing estimates.

 

The weekly and monthly updates cover a range of immigration categories, including visitor, work, and study visas, as well as permanent residency and citizenship. These estimates reflect the time taken to process 80% of applications in each category.

 

Take a look at the latest processing times and what they mean for Indian applicants and others planning to visit, study, or settle in Canada.

 

Citizenship processing times (updated monthly)

 

Citizenship grant: 10 months (up from 8 months)

Citizenship certificate: 4 months (up from 3 months)

Renunciation of citizenship: 7 months (down from 8 months)

Search of citizenship records: 15 months (no change)

Resumption of citizenship: no estimate due to insufficient data

 

Those who applied around March 31, 2025, should expect to receive their Acknowledgement of Receipt soon. IRCC has also flagged delays for certificate requests from outside Canada or the US.

 

Temporary resident visas (updated weekly)

 

Visitor visa (outside Canada)

 

India: 18 days (down from 19 days)

United States: 18 days

Nigeria: 96 days (up from 89 days)

Pakistan: 26 days (up from 25 days)

Philippines: 28 days (up from 27 days)

 

Visitor visa (inside Canada): 23 days (up from 20 days)

 

Visitor extension: 169 days (up from 163 days)

 

Super visa for parents and grandparents

 

India: 105 days (down from 119 days)

US: 79 days (up from 74 days)

Nigeria: 69 days (up from 68 days)

Pakistan: 173 days (up from 172 days)

Philippines: 113 days (down from 116 days)

 

Study permit

 

From outside Canada:

 

India: 9 weeks (up from 8 weeks)

US: 5 weeks

Nigeria: 5 weeks

Pakistan: 12 weeks (up from 9 weeks)

Philippines: 15 weeks (up from 11 weeks)

 

From inside Canada:

 

5 weeks (up from 4 weeks)

 

Study permit extension: 234 days (up from 223 days)

 

Work permit

 

From outside Canada:

 

India: 16 weeks (down from 18 weeks)

US: 11 weeks (down from 17 weeks)

Nigeria: 10 weeks (up from 9 weeks)

Pakistan: 7 weeks (down from 8 weeks)

Philippines: 6 weeks (down from 7 weeks)

 

From inside Canada: 237 days (up from 233 days)

 

Other temporary categories

 

Seasonal agricultural worker programme: 13 days (up from 11 days)

< International Experience Canada (IEC): 5 weeks

< Electronic travel authorisation (eTA): 5 minutes (may take up to 72 hours in some cases)

 

Permanent residency (PR) cards (updated weekly)

 

New PR card: 43 days (up from 35 days)

PR card renewal: 11 days (up from 10 days)

 

Family sponsorship (updated monthly)

 

Timelines vary by province, with longer waits in Quebec due to its additional review process.

 

Spouse/common-law (outside Canada, non-Quebec): 10 months (down from 11 months)

Spouse/common-law (outside Canada, Quebec): 36 months (up from 35 months)

Spouse/common-law (inside Canada, non-Quebec): 29 months (up from 24 months)

Spouse/common-law (inside Canada, Quebec): 36 months (unchanged)

Parents/grandparents (non-Quebec): 36 months (unchanged)

Parents/grandparents (Quebec): 48 months (no change)

 

Canadian passport (updated May 1, 2025)

 

In-person application: 10 business days

By mail (within Canada): 20 business days

Urgent pick-up: by end of next business day

Express pick-up: 2–9 business days

Mailed from outside Canada: 20 business days

 

Permanent residency – economic class (updated monthly)

 

Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 5 months

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 5 months (down from 6 months)

Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry): 5 months (down from 6 months)

Non-Express Entry PNP: 20 months (down from 21 months)

Quebec Skilled Workers: 9 months

Federal Self-Employed: 53 months (up from 50 months)

Atlantic Immigration Program: 11 months

Start-up visa: 41 months (up from 40 months)

 

IRCC uses an online tracker that adjusts based on real-time data, giving applicants a clearer idea of how long they might wait. The tool was introduced in 2022 to replace older fixed processing benchmarks.