Canada’s immigration department updated its processing time estimates on September 3, 2026, showing longer waits for several permanent‑residence and citizenship streams.
Permanent residence – economic immigration
Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 7 months (up 1 month from 6 months).
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 6 months (unchanged).
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): no data published.
Service standard for all Express Entry programs: 6 months.
Application inventory
- FSWP: 53,800 pending (+1,400).
- CEC: 58,900 pending (‑800).
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Enhanced (through Express Entry): 7 months (unchanged).
- Base (non‑Express Entry): 13 months (unchanged).
Service standards: 6 months for enhanced, 11 months for base.
PNP inventory
- Enhanced: 12,800 pending (+1,000).
- Base: 101,500 pending (‑900).
Quebec immigration
- Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ): 11 months (unchanged).
- Quebec Business Class (QBC): 75 months (unchanged).
Service standard: 6 months for PSTQ; none published for QBC.
Quebec inventory
- PSTQ: 20,400 pending (‑800).
- QBC: 3,700 pending (no change).
Atlantic Immigration Program
- Processing time: 26 months (unchanged for four months).
Service standard: 11 months.
Atlantic inventory: 11,800 pending (‑300).
Other economic programs
- Start‑Up Visa: 10 + years (unchanged).
- Federal Self‑Employed Persons Program: 10 + years (unchanged).
No service standards published.
Permanent residence – family sponsorship
Outside Quebec
- In‑Canada spousal sponsorship: 26 months (down 1 month).
- Out‑of‑Canada spousal sponsorship: 18 months (up 1 month).
- Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP): 28 months (down 1 month).
Service standard: 12 months for spousal sponsorship outside Quebec.
Inventory
- In‑Canada partners: 54,700 pending (‑2,100).
- Out‑of‑Canada partners: 62,600 pending (+4,600).
- Parents and Grandparents: 37,500 pending (‑1,500).
Within Quebec
- Spousal sponsorship (both in‑ and out‑of‑Canada): 32–33 months (unchanged).
- Parents and Grandparents: 63 months (down 1 month).
Inventory
- In‑Canada partners: 14,200 pending (+200).
- Out‑of‑Canada partners: 19,200 pending (+200).
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,300 pending (‑100).
Citizenship
- Citizenship grant: 12 months (unchanged).
- Renunciation of citizenship: 4 months (unchanged).
- Search of citizenship records: 18 months (up 1 month).
Service standard for grants: 12 months.
Citizenship grant inventory: 327,100 applications (‑1,100 from August 10).
Processing times vs. service standards
- Processing times are estimates of how long 80 % of comparable applications have taken (historical) or are projected to take based on current inventory. They are not guarantees; individual cases may vary.
- Service standards are internal benchmarks indicating the target timeframe IRCC aims to meet for 80 % of applications under normal conditions.
- Processing‑time figures are updated monthly for permanent‑residence and citizenship streams, whereas service standards may remain unchanged for years (the Express Entry standards were last revised in 2019).
These updated estimates highlight growing backlogs in several economic and family‑sponsorship categories, while a few streams—such as in‑Canada spousal sponsorship and the Parents and Grandparents Program in Quebec—show modest reductions in wait times. Applicants should monitor inventory trends and consider interim options, such as bridging open work permits where eligibility criteria are met.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
