Canada’s July 7 processing times update shows shorter waits for several permanent residence and citizenship applicants, especially Canadian Experience Class, base Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Business Class, Parents and Grandparents Program, and citizenship grant applicants. The main increases were for Express Entry-aligned PNP and spousal sponsorship outside Quebec.
Economic immigration
Express Entry
Canadian Experience Class processing fell by one month, bringing it within IRCC’s six-month service standard for Express Entry programs.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 6 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | 7 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | N/A | N/A |
IRCC does not publish Federal Skilled Trades Program processing times because there is “not enough data.”
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Canadian Experience Class: 61,500, up 600
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: 55,800, up 3,800
Provincial Nominee Program
Base PNP timelines improved, while enhanced PNP applications submitted through Express Entry increased by one month.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Through Express Entry, enhanced PNP | 7 months | 6 months |
| Non-Express Entry, base PNP | 12 months | 13 months |
Service standards are six months for enhanced PNP applications and 11 months for base PNP applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Enhanced PNP: 12,100, down 1,900
- Base PNP: 103,800, down 6,400
Quebec immigration
Quebec Business Class processing improved by one month, while the Skilled Worker Selection Program stayed unchanged.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker Selection Program | 11 months | 11 months |
| Quebec Business Class | 75 months | 76 months |
The service standard is six months for Skilled Worker Selection Program applicants. No published service standard is available for Quebec Business Class.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Skilled Worker Selection Program: 22,200, down 2,600
- Quebec Business Class: 3,700, unchanged
Atlantic Immigration Program
Atlantic Immigration Program processing times stayed flat, despite 600 applications being processed in one month.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 26 months | 26 months |
The service standard is 11 months.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Atlantic Immigration Program: 12,300, down 600
Start-up Visa and Self-Employed Persons Program
Start-up Visa and Federal Self-Employed Persons Program wait times remain above 10 years. The Start-up Visa inventory rose by nearly 1,000 applications, likely connected to the June 30 application deadline for 2025 commitment certificate holders.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up Visa | 10+ years | 10+ years |
| Federal Self-Employed Persons Program | 10+ years | 10+ years |
No service standards are available for these programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Start-up Visa: 47,500, up 900
- Federal Self-Employed Persons Program: 8,000, down 100
Family sponsorship
Processing times fell for the Parents and Grandparents Program in and outside Quebec, but spousal sponsorship outside Quebec increased.
Outside Quebec
Spousal sponsorship processing increased by one month for partners living inside and outside Canada. Parents and Grandparents Program processing fell to 30 months, the lowest level in at least three months.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 27 months | 26 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 17 months | 16 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | 30 months | 32 months |
The service standard is 12 months for spousal sponsorship outside Quebec. IRCC does not publish standards for the other listed application types.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment for this category were not provided in the source text.
Within Quebec
Quebec family sponsorship timelines were mostly unchanged, except for the Parents and Grandparents Program, which fell by two months to a three-month low.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 32 months | 32 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 33 months | 33 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | 65 months | 67 months |
IRCC does not publish service standards for applicants intending to settle in Quebec.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 13,700, up 1,600
- Partner living outside Canada: 18,600, unchanged
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,500, down 500
Citizenship
Citizenship processing times were unchanged except for citizenship grant applications, which fell to their lowest level since April 2026.
| Application type | July 7 | June 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 13 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 7 months | 7 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 17 months | 17 months |
The service standard for citizenship grants is 12 months.
IRCC’s citizenship grant inventory is 326,200 applications, down 200.
Processing times versus service standards
Processing times and service standards are separate measures.
Processing times estimate how long a given application type may take. They are general guidance only and do not guarantee when an application will be finalized. Actual timing can vary depending on factors such as file complexity, whether the application is complete, and whether IRCC asks for additional documents, information, or clarification.
IRCC uses two types of processing estimates:
- Historical estimates, based on how long it took IRCC to finalize 80% of similar applications in the past.
- Forward-looking estimates, based on current inventory and expected processing capacity.
Service standards are internal targets showing how quickly IRCC aims to process certain applications under normal operating conditions. IRCC generally seeks to finalize about 80% of applications within the relevant service standard.
Processing times are updated weekly or monthly depending on the application type. Service standards are revised much less often.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
