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Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised the processing times for various immigration applications as of July 3, 2024. This includes applications for citizenship, family sponsorships, economic immigration, business immigration, temporary residency, and permanent resident cards.
These updates aim to help applicants understand the expected time frame for receiving a decision on their application. Potential applicants can use this information to plan accordingly before submitting their applications.
It’s essential to note that processing times begin when IRCC receives a complete application and end when an immigration officer reaches a final decision.
Permanent Residency Economic Class Processing Times
The processing times for Permanent Residency Economic Class applications are updated both monthly and weekly:
| Application Type | Current Processing Time | Change Since Last Update | Change Since April 23 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 5 months (updated monthly) | No Change | No Change |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 5 months (updated monthly) | No Change | No Change |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | (Not updated since March 1) | No Change | No Change |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry | 6 months (updated monthly) | No Change | No Change |
| Non-Express Entry PNP | 11 months (updated monthly) | No Change | -1 month |
| Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW) | 9 months (updated monthly) | No Change | No Change |
| Quebec Business Class (Entrepreneurs, Investors, Self-employed) | 46 months (updated weekly) | +1 month since June 25 | -8 months |
| Federal Self-Employed | 50 months (updated weekly) | No Change since June 13 | -2 months |
| Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) | 7 months (updated weekly) | No Change since June 13 | +1 month |
| Start-Up Visa | 39 months (updated weekly) | +1 month since June 25 | +2 months |
Processing Times for IRCC Processing Times for Family Sponsorship
As of May 2024, family sponsorship processing times are updated monthly. These times depend on various factors, such as the number of applications in IRCC’s system, the number of staff dedicated to processing them, and the anticipated future volume of applications. Additionally, the timeline considers the time needed for application evaluation, eligibility checks for both the sponsor and applicant and biometric processing for the sponsored individual.
| Type of Application | Current Processing Time | Change Since June 3 | Change Since May 1 | Change Since April 23 |
| Spouse or common-law partner residing outside Canada (planning to live outside Quebec) | 10 months | No Change | -3 months | -2 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner residing outside Canada (planning to live in Quebec) | 32 months | -2 months | -2 months | +4 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner residing inside Canada (planning to live outside Quebec) | 11 months | +1 month | No Change | +3 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner residing inside Canada (planning to live in Quebec) | 28 months | No Change | +1 month | +4 months |
| Parents or Grandparents PR (planning to live outside Quebec) | 24 months | No Change | +4 months | -3 months |
| Parents or Grandparents PR (planning to live in Quebec) | 48 months | No Change | +15 months | +11 months |
IRCC Uses Automation to Speed Up Spousal Sponsorship Applications
To reduce application backlogs, the immigration department has launched two new automation technologies to accelerate the processing of spousal sponsorship applications.
Source: VISAS AVENUE