Indian Applicants See Quicker Visitor Visa and Work Permit Processing for Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released its latest update on processing times for temporary residence, permanent residence and citizenship applications.

The new figures show improvements in several visa categories, particularly for visitor visa applicants from India. Some family sponsorship programs also saw changes, while most economic immigration streams remained stable.

Below is a breakdown of the latest updates.

Temporary Residence Applications

Work Permit Processing Times

Processing times for most work permit applications have remained largely stable. However, applicants from India saw a slight improvement, while Nigeria experienced longer wait times.

Application Location	Previous	Current
Inside Canada	256 days	259 days
India	8 weeks	7 weeks
Pakistan	30 weeks	30 weeks
Nigeria	11 weeks	13 weeks
United States	10 weeks	9 weeks
Philippines	N/A	7 weeks

Service standards

• In-Canada applications: 120 days
• Outside Canada applications: 60 days
• International Experience Canada permits: 56 days

Study Permit Processing Times

Most study permit processing times remained unchanged, except for the United States, which saw a one-week improvement.

Application Location	Previous	Current
Canada	9 weeks	9 weeks
India	4 weeks	4 weeks
Pakistan	15 weeks	15 weeks
Nigeria	8 weeks	8 weeks
United States	6 weeks	5 weeks
Philippines	N/A	5 weeks

Visitor Visa Processing Times

Visitor visa processing times have improved across several countries. Indian applicants saw the most notable reduction, with wait times dropping by two weeks.

Application Location	Previous	Current
Inside Canada	19 days	18 days
India	71 days	57 days
Pakistan	53 days	49 days
Nigeria	56 days	53 days
United States	23 days	17 days
Philippines	N/A	14 days

This improvement suggests faster processing for many individuals planning short-term travel to Canada.

Super Visa Processing Times

Super visa processing also saw moderate improvements in several countries.

Application Location	Previous	Current
India	210 days	208 days
Pakistan	136 days	132 days
Nigeria	47 days	44 days
United States	205 days	207 days
Philippines	N/A	85 days

Super visas allow parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to visit Canada for extended periods.

Permanent Residence Applications

Express Entry

Processing times for major economic immigration programs under the Express Entry system remain unchanged.

Program	Previous	Current
Canadian Experience Class	7 months	7 months
Federal Skilled Worker Program	7 months	7 months

All Express Entry programs have a six-month service standard, although actual processing times may vary depending on application volume.

Provincial Nominee Program

There were no changes in Provincial Nominee Program processing times.

Program Type	Previous	Current
Express Entry (Enhanced)	7 months	7 months
Non-Express Entry (Base)	13 months	13 months

Quebec Skilled Worker Program

Processing times for Quebec’s skilled worker selection program remained unchanged at 11 months.

Atlantic Immigration Program

Processing under the Atlantic Immigration Program continues to remain significantly above its official service standard.

Program	Previous	Current
Atlantic Immigration Program	33 months	33 months

Family Sponsorship Updates

Some family sponsorship programs saw minor adjustments.

Application Type	Previous	Current
Spouse inside Canada (Quebec)	35 months	36 months
Parents & Grandparents (outside Quebec)	35 months	34 months
Parents & Grandparents (Quebec)	47 months	46 months

In addition, dependent child sponsorship from India saw a significant improvement.

Application Type	Previous	Current
Inside Canada	19 months	20 months
Outside Canada (India)	16 months	8 months
Outside Canada (Nigeria)	19 months	19 months
Outside Canada (Philippines)	N/A	12 months

Citizenship Processing Times

Citizenship applications have also seen slight improvements.

Application Type	Previous	Current
Citizenship grant	14 months	13 months
Citizenship certificate	11 months	10 months

Processing Times vs Service Standards

It is important to understand the difference between processing times and service standards.

Processing times reflect how long applicants may expect to wait for a decision if they submit their application today. These estimates are based on historical data or projections using current application inventories.

Service standards, on the other hand, represent the internal targets set by IRCC for completing around 80% of applications within a specific timeframe.

For personalized guidance on Canada visas, work permits or permanent residence pathways, contact the experts at Oasis Visas.

Connect with us