Canada visa wait times: Get PR card in 36 days, work visa in 8 weeks

Latest IRCC data shows rising delays for Indian applicants, with PR, study and visitor visas taking weeks to months depending on route and location

Planning to get Canada’s permanent residency, apply for a work permit, or visit as a tourist? Indians looking at any of these routes must now brace for changing wait times. As of September 2025, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows new estimates for everything from short-term visitor visas to long-term PR approvals and even passport renewals.

 

Here’s a detailed look at how long various applications are taking for Indians and others, based on the latest IRCC figures.

 

Canada visa times: Visitor visa applications from India take 63 days

 

If you’re applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), your location makes a big difference. Here’s where India and other countries stand:

 

 

India: 63 days (up by 9)

 

United States: 24 days (no change)

 

Pakistan: 48 days (up by 1)

 

Philippines: 19 days (down by 1)

 

Nigeria: 31 days (down by 5)

 

Visitor visa (inside Canada): 13 days (down by 2)

 

Visitor extension (inside Canada): 170 days (down by 10)

 

Super visa wait times for parents, grandparents

 

Super visas allow long stays for parents and grandparents, but timelines again vary by country.

 

India: 139 days (no change)

Pakistan: 112 days (down by 14)

United States: 89 days (up by 2)

Nigeria: 55 days (down by 2)

Philippines: 71 days (down by 3)

 

Study permits now taking 4 weeks from India

 

Student visa timelines have changed slightly for most countries:

 

India: 4 weeks (up by 1)

 

United States: 10 weeks (no change)

 

Pakistan: 9 weeks (no change)

 

Philippines: 6 weeks (down by 1)

 

Nigeria: 8 weeks (up by 2)

 

Study permit (inside Canada): 6 weeks (no change)

 

Study permit extension: 163 days (down by 10)

 

Work permit from India? Expect 8 weeks

 

Outside Canada, the work permit processing time for Indians is currently stable:

 

India: 8 weeks (no change)

 

United States: 3 weeks (down by 1)

 

Pakistan: 12 weeks (up by 5)

 

Philippines: 6 weeks (no change)

 

Nigeria: 22 weeks (up by 12)

 

Inside Canada (including extensions): 190 days (down by 3)

 

Other temporary routes: Agricultural and travel programmes

 

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: 70 days (up by 17)

International Experience Canada (IEC): 5 weeks (no change)

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): 5 minutes to 72 hours

 

Becoming Canadian: Citizenship processing times

 

If you’re already a permanent resident and applying to become a Canadian citizen, the wait time has gone up.

 

Citizenship grant: 11 months (up from 10)

Citizenship certificate (proof): 5 months (no change)

Resumption of citizenship: Not available

Renunciation of citizenship: 10 months (up from 5)

Search of citizenship records: 13 months (down from 14)

 

Those who applied before July 7, 2025, should soon receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), said IRCC.

 

Permanent resident card timelines

 

Whether you’re receiving your first PR card or renewing an expired one, here’s what to expect in September:

 

New PR card: 36 days (no change)

PR card renewal: 33 days (up by one day)

 

Do note that the 36 days refers to PR card issuance, not the actual PR approval, which takes several months depending on the stream (e.g., 5–6 months for Express Entry).

 

Family sponsorship timelines vary widely in Quebec

 

Spousal sponsorships inside Canada have seen a noticeable drop in wait times, especially for non-Quebec applications. But for those involving Quebec, the process still stretches over three years in some cases.

 

Spouse/Common-law (outside Canada, non-Quebec): 15 months (up by 2)

Spouse/Common-law (outside Canada, Quebec): 41 months (no change)

Spouse/Common-law (inside Canada, non-Quebec): 23 months (down by 13)

Spouse/Common-law (inside Canada, Quebec): 38 months (down by 2)

Parents/grandparents (non-Quebec): 26 months (down by 10)

Parents/grandparents (Quebec): 44 months (down by 4)

 

Quebec’s longer wait times are due to separate agreements with the federal government.

 

Passport issuance remains stable

 

IRCC’s passport services continue with the same turnaround times as last month.

 

In-person passport: 10 business days

Mail passport (within Canada): 20 business days

Urgent pick-up: By next business day

Express pick-up: 2 to 9 business days

Mailed from outside Canada: 20 business days

 

Permanent residence through Express Entry and beyond

 

For skilled workers and entrepreneurs, wait times depend heavily on the chosen programme. While Express Entry streams remain relatively quick, others—especially for business class applicants—remain slow.

 

Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 5 months (no change)

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 6 months (down by 1)

Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry): 8 months (no change)

Non-Express Entry PNP: 19 months (down by 1)

Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW): 11 months (up by 2)

Federal self-employed: 61 months (up by 1)

Start-up visa: 53 months (up by 1)

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): 13 months (no change)

 

Some categories, such as Quebec Business Class and Federal Skilled Trades, had no updated figures due to insufficient data.

 

IRCC using predictive modelling to manage delays

 

IRCC’s new system uses real-time modelling rather than historical averages. This means timelines reflect about 80 per cent of cases based on current demand and staffing levels.

 

But with more than 901,700 cases still in processing as of August, queues remain long for many programmes. Those applying through Express Entry continue to experience shorter wait times than regional or Quebec-based streams, according to IRCC.