IRCC updates processing times for temporary visas
Canada’s immigration department released revised processing time estimates on June 24, showing shorter wait periods across several temporary residence categories, including work permits, study permits, and super visas.
The most notable figure is a reduction in in-Canada work permit processing to 144 days, representing the lowest reported level so far in 2026.
The updated timelines reflect changes recorded between June 17 and June 24 and apply to applications submitted both within Canada and from key international locations.
- In-Canada work permit processing fell to 144 days, the lowest level in 2026
- Work permit applications from Nigeria dropped by approximately seven weeks
- Super visa processing for India declined by 44 days
- Study permit timelines decreased by one week for India and Nigeria
- Super visa wait times for Pakistan rose by 11 days
Work permit processing shows measurable declines
Processing times for work permit applications saw the most pronounced improvement among temporary residence categories. Applications submitted from within Canada decreased from 171 days to 144 days over the one-week period.
This marks the shortest processing duration recorded for in-Canada work permit cases during the current calendar year.
Internationally, Nigeria experienced the most significant reduction, with processing times dropping from 16 weeks to 9 weeks.
Other locations, including India, Pakistan, the United States, and the Philippines, reported no change in their processing timelines during this period.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the service standard for work permits remains 120 days for applications made from inside Canada and 60 days for those submitted abroad.
Study permit timelines show gradual shifts
Processing estimates for study permits remained largely stable, with limited adjustments recorded in certain regions.
India and Nigeria each saw one-week reductions, bringing processing times to four weeks and five weeks, respectively.
Other jurisdictions, including Canada, Pakistan, the United States, and the Philippines, reported unchanged figures compared to the previous update.
IRCC continues to maintain a service standard of 120 days for in-Canada study permit applications and 60 days for submissions made from outside the country.
Visitor visa wait times change modestly
Visitor visa processing estimates showed minor fluctuations across different locations. Applications submitted within Canada decreased slightly to 42 days, down from 44 days.
India also recorded a small decline from 24 days to 22 days during the same reporting period.
In contrast, applications from Nigeria increased marginally, rising from 53 days to 54 days.
No changes were observed for Pakistan, the United States, or the Philippines, where processing times remained consistent.
The service standard for visitor visas submitted abroad remains set at 14 days, although actual processing durations frequently exceed this target.
Super visa processing varies by country
Super visa processing times demonstrated more varied shifts compared to other temporary residence categories.
Applications from India recorded a substantial decrease, with processing times dropping from 110 days to 66 days.
Pakistan saw the largest increase, rising from 84 days to 95 days, representing an 11-day change.
Other countries experienced smaller movements, including slight increases in the United States and the Philippines, and a one-day decrease in Nigeria.
Super visas, which are only available to applicants applying from outside Canada, continue to have a service standard of 112 days.
Understanding IRCC processing time estimates
IRCC publishes processing times as general indicators based on recent application processing data and current operational capacity.
These figures are not guarantees and may vary depending on application complexity, completeness, and case-specific factors.
Two different methods are used to calculate these estimates. Historical processing times reflect how long it took to finalize 80 percent of applications in the past.
Forward-looking projections are based on IRCC’s current inventory and available resources, offering an estimate of how long ongoing applications could take.
These figures are updated regularly, with temporary residence categories refreshed on a weekly basis.
Service standards and performance benchmarks
Service standards differ from processing time estimates and are used internally by IRCC to measure operational performance.
These benchmarks represent target timelines for completing applications under typical conditions, with a general objective of finalizing approximately 80 percent of cases within the stated period.
For temporary residence streams, including work permits, study permits, and visitor visas, service standards have remained unchanged since 2018 and 2019.
Differences between actual processing times and service standards can arise due to application volumes, backlogs, or other operational constraints.
Broader immigration processing context
Processing times for temporary residence applications are a key operational indicator within Canada’s immigration system. They can shift frequently in response to seasonal demand, policy adjustments, or changes in application volumes.
Weekly updates allow for ongoing tracking of these changes, particularly for applicants monitoring work permit or study permit timelines.
Separate from temporary residence processing, permanent residence applications and citizenship cases follow different update cycles, typically revised on a monthly basis.
Information on broader immigration activity, including recent selection rounds, is compiled in publicly available resources such as the All Draws Index, which tracks invitation data across federal and provincial programs.
Recent trends highlight incremental improvements
The June 24 update reflects a pattern of incremental processing improvements rather than system-wide changes.
The largest gains were concentrated in specific regions and categories, particularly in work permits and super visas.
While several categories showed reductions, others remained stable or experienced minor increases, indicating uneven processing trends across application types and regions.
The in-Canada work permit figure of 144 days stands out as a notable benchmark, representing the lowest recorded processing time for that category in 2026.
Ongoing updates expected
IRCC continues to publish weekly updates for temporary residence processing times, reflecting ongoing adjustments based on operational conditions.
These updates provide a snapshot of current trends and are subject to change as application volumes and processing capacity evolve.
The June 24 release highlights both reductions and increases across different application streams, with the most significant change being the 144-day in-Canada work permit processing time.
Further updates are expected in subsequent weekly releases as IRCC continues to revise its processing estimates.