Key takeaways
- Study permits from outside Canada: 4 to 10 weeks for the countries below
- Visitor visas: from 18 days (United States residents) to 97 days (Nigeria)
- Inside Canada: work permit extensions 108 days, study permit extensions 60 days
- Times are historical: 80% of applications were finished within that time
- Check IRCC’s tool for your exact case before you plan travel
Temporary residence processing times by country
IRCC data last updated October 1, 2026. Times are for applications submitted from outside Canada, by the country where you apply.
| Country | Visitor visa | Super visa | Study permit | Work permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 30 days | 65 days | 6 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Philippines | 26 days | 97 days | 5 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Nigeria | 97 days | 44 days | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| China | 36 days | 83 days | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Sri Lanka | 46 days | 40 days | 5 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Pakistan | 75 days | 100 days | 6 weeks | 8 weeks |
| United States | 18 days | 72 days | 5 weeks | 4 weeks |
IRCC’s visitor and super visa times include the time needed to give biometrics. Apply early, because biometrics appointments can take time to book.
Applications from inside Canada and other services
| Application | Time (Oct 1, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa, applying from inside Canada | 11 days |
| Visitor record (extend your stay) | 385 days |
| Study permit extension | 60 days |
| Work permit extension | 108 days |
| International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit | 6 weeks |
| Electronic travel authorization (eTA) | 5 minutes |
| PR card, first card for new permanent residents | 34 days |
| PR card renewal or replacement | 37 days |
| Verification of status | 11 weeks |
| Citizenship record search | 18 months |
| Renouncing citizenship | 4 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades (Express Entry) | Not enough data |
While you wait for an extension that you applied for before your permit expired, you can usually keep your status and conditions. Read more in our work permits guide.
Express Entry, PNP, sponsorship and citizenship times
IRCC shows permanent residence and citizenship times in its online tool, which updates them once a month. We could not confirm those figures from IRCC’s published data files when we checked on October 5, 2026, so we do not list them here. Use IRCC’s tool for:
- Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker and PNP through Express Entry
- Base (non-Express Entry) provincial nominee applications
- Spouse, partner and child sponsorship, inside or outside Canada
- Citizenship grants and proof of citizenship
IRCC’s published service standard for complete Express Entry applications is 6 months. Real times can be longer or shorter.
How IRCC calculates processing times
IRCC uses two kinds of numbers:
- Historical times. IRCC looks at how long it took to finish 80% of applications of that type in the past. It uses the last 6 months for permanent residence and the last 8 to 16 weeks for temporary residence.
- Forward-looking estimates. For some programs IRCC also uses how many applications are waiting and how many it expects to finish. It updates these monthly for permanent residence and weekly for temporary residence.
The clock starts when IRCC receives a complete application: the day you submit it online, or the day it arrives at the mailroom for paper files. It stops when IRCC makes a decision. It does not include the time to mail your passport back or to travel.
Because the time is an 80% figure, 1 in 5 applications took longer. Missing documents, extra checks or a medical exam can add weeks or months.
How to use these times
- Apply early. For study, apply as soon as you have your letter of acceptance and provincial attestation letter.
- Do not book non-refundable travel before you have a decision.
- Check your status in your IRCC account. If you are well past the posted time, you can send a webform question.
- For PR, plan your budget for a long wait. Our cost of PR calculator helps with the fees.
About this data
We take these figures from IRCC’s processing time data, which feeds its online tool. This snapshot uses IRCC’s update of October 1, 2026, checked on October 5, 2026. We plan to add a new snapshot each month so you can see the trend over time. Always confirm the current time on IRCC’s tool before you make plans.