Citizenship processing tracker
Proof of Canadian Citizenship: Latest Wait Time
The latest IRCC estimate for a citizenship certificate, including proof of citizenship by descent and replacement certificates.
Estimated processing time
34 months
Approximately, for a new complete application.
People waiting for a decision
130,700
Approximately, in IRCC’s proof-of-citizenship queue.
IRCC update: October 9, 2026 | Checked: October 21, 2026
These are estimates, not a deadline or a guarantee. IRCC updates this series monthly. This tracker shows published program figures, not the status of an individual application.
Latest news:
On This Page, You Will Find:
- Proof of citizenship processing tracker
- How IRCC calculates processing times
- Permanent residence applications
- Family sponsorship wait times
- Temporary residence applications
- Citizenship applications
- How to check the current, official estimate
- Frequently asked questions
Knowing how long an application may take is essential when planning your move to Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updates its processing times regularly. The figures below track IRCC’s published estimates over 2026, with the latest column taken from IRCC’s October 2026 updates (October 9 for permanent residence and citizenship, October 14 for temporary residence). Because they change frequently, always confirm the current estimate for your exact application on IRCC’s official processing-times tool before making decisions.
How IRCC Calculates Processing Times
IRCC publishes two different kinds of processing time, and it matters which one you are looking at:
- Historical processing times show how long it took IRCC to finalize 80% of applications in the past. They are updated weekly and are used for most temporary residence applications, such as visitor visas, study permits and work permits.
- Forward-looking processing times estimate how long IRCC expects to take on an application received today, based on the number of applications in the queue, dedicated processing capacity and expected application volumes. They are updated monthly and are now shown for several permanent residence and citizenship applications, together with the approximate number of people waiting.
Service standards are different again: they are IRCC’s commitment to process a given type of application within a set time under normal circumstances. They are not updated regularly, and not every program has one. Your own file can be faster or slower than any published figure: applications that need additional reviews, documents or background checks take longer, and many temporary application times vary by the country you apply from.
Permanent Residence Applications
The permanent residence figures below are IRCC’s forward-looking estimates for a new application.
Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s main application system for skilled workers. It includes three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 7 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | 7 months | 7 months | 7 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Service standard: 6 months.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The PNP allows provinces and territories to nominate candidates for permanent residence based on local labour market needs. Nominees apply to IRCC either through Express Entry (enhanced nomination) or directly on paper or online outside Express Entry (base nomination).
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Through Express Entry (enhanced) | 7 months | 7 months | 7 months | 7 months |
| Outside Express Entry (base) | 13 months | 12 months | 13 months | 13 months |
Service standards: 6 months through Express Entry; 11 months outside Express Entry.
Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers
Quebec selects its own skilled workers, mainly through the Regular Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ). Once Quebec issues a selection certificate (CSQ), the applicant applies to IRCC for permanent residence. The times below cover only that federal stage; they do not include the time Quebec takes to select you.
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec-selected skilled workers (federal permanent residence stage) | 11 months | 11 months | 11 months | 11 months |
Service standard: 11 months. IRCC reported that it was meeting this standard in early 2026.
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
The AIP helps employers in Atlantic Canada hire skilled foreign workers and international graduates, and offers a pathway to permanent residence in the region.
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 33 months | 26 months | 26 months | 26 months |
Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses and partners, parents and grandparents, or children for permanent residence. Spousal and parent figures are forward-looking estimates.
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse/common-law partner in Canada (outside Quebec) | 21 months | 27 months | 26 months | 26 months |
| Spouse/common-law partner in Canada (Quebec) | 36 months | 32 months | 32 months | 32 months |
| Spouse/common-law partner outside Canada (outside Quebec) | 15 months | 17 months | 18 months | 18 months |
| Spouse/common-law partner outside Canada (Quebec) | 35 months | 33 months | 33 months | 33 months |
| Parents and grandparents (outside Quebec) | 34 months | 30 months | 28 months | 28 months |
| Parents and grandparents (Quebec) | 46 months | 65 months | 63 months | 63 months |
Service standard for spouses, partners and children sponsored from outside Canada (outside Quebec): 12 months. Note that IRCC paused intake of new Parents and Grandparents Program applications on July 15, 2026; the figures above apply to applications already in the queue.
Dependent Child Sponsorship
You can sponsor a dependent child who is in Canada or abroad. These figures are historical processing times and vary with the child’s location and the complexity of the case.
| Child’s Location | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Canada | 20 months | 18 months | 17 months |
| India | 8 months | 7 months | 8 months |
| Nigeria | 19 months | 22 months | 22 months |
Temporary Residence Applications
Temporary residence applications include visitor visas, super visas, work permits and study permits. The figures below are historical processing times, which IRCC updates weekly, and they vary considerably by the country you apply from. The “Inside Canada” rows refer to applications made from inside Canada (visitor records and permit extensions).
Visitor Visas
Visitor visas allow foreign nationals to enter Canada for tourism, family visits or business.
| Applying From | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Canada | 18 days | 29 days | 11 days | 12 days |
| India | 57 days | 21 days | 31 days | 29 days |
| Pakistan | 49 days | 40 days | 78 days | 65 days |
| Nigeria | 53 days | 63 days | 80 days | 103 days |
| United States | 17 days | 27 days | 20 days | 18 days |
Service standard for visitor visas applied for from outside Canada: 14 days.
Work Permits
Work permits allow foreign nationals to work in Canada temporarily. Times differ by application type and where the application is submitted.
| Applying From | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Canada (extension) | 259 days | 122 days | 113 days | 118 days |
| India | 7 weeks | 9 weeks | 10 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Pakistan | 30 weeks | 10 weeks | 7 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Nigeria | 13 weeks | 6 weeks | 9 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 9 weeks | 3 weeks | 2 weeks | 6 weeks |
Service standard for new work permits applied for from outside Canada: 60 days.
Study Permits
Study permits are for international students attending designated learning institutions in Canada.
| Applying From | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Canada (extension) | 9 weeks | 7 weeks | 64 days | 56 days |
| India | 4 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Pakistan | 15 weeks | 6 weeks | 7 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Nigeria | 8 weeks | 5 weeks | 9 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
Service standards: 60 days for new study permits from outside Canada; 120 days for study permit extensions.
Super Visas
Super visas allow parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit Canada for up to five years at a time.
| Applying From | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 208 days | 49 days | 66 days | 77 days |
| Pakistan | 132 days | 194 days | 139 days | 105 days |
| Nigeria | 44 days | 39 days | 52 days | 35 days |
| United States | 207 days | 124 days | 116 days | 68 days |
Citizenship Applications
Canadian citizenship applications include grants for new citizens and certificates for people proving they are already citizens. Both are shown as forward-looking estimates.
| Application Type | Mar 9, 2026 | Jul 7, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | 13 months | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months |
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | 10 months | 19 months | 33 months | 34 months |
Proof-of-citizenship times have risen sharply during 2026. See our report on the rising proof of citizenship processing time.
How to Check the Current, Official Estimate
Processing times change frequently, so the most reliable step is to use IRCC’s official “Check processing times” tool. Select your exact application type (and country, where relevant) for the latest estimate. For many permanent residence and citizenship applications, the tool also shows roughly how many people are waiting and, if you have already applied, how many applications are ahead of yours. Treat the figures on this page as a general guide and the IRCC tool as the authoritative source.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are IRCC processing times?
They are estimates, not guarantees. Historical times show how long IRCC took to finalize 80% of past applications, while forward-looking times project how long a new application is likely to take based on the current queue and planned admissions. Your application may be faster or slower depending on its complexity, requests for documents, security checks and, for temporary applications, your country of residence.
What is the difference between a processing time and a service standard?
A processing time is IRCC’s published estimate, updated weekly (historical) or monthly (forward-looking). A service standard is IRCC’s commitment to process a type of application within a set period under normal circumstances, such as 6 months for Express Entry or 11 months for Quebec-selected skilled workers. Service standards are rarely updated, and not every program has one.
Which Canadian immigration programs are processed the fastest?
As of October 2026, Express Entry applications remain among the fastest permanent residence pathways, at about 6 to 7 months. Many visitor visas and study permits are processed within weeks, depending on the applicant’s country. Family sponsorship, the Atlantic Immigration Program and proof-of-citizenship applications currently take considerably longer.
Can I speed up my immigration application?
There is no way to pay for faster processing. The best way to avoid delays is to submit a complete application with accurate information and all required supporting documents. Respond promptly if IRCC requests additional information, and keep your passport and other documents valid throughout processing.
Where can I check the latest IRCC processing times?
Use IRCC’s official online processing times tool on canada.ca. Select your application type and, where applicable, your country of residence to see the latest estimate. Because estimates change regularly, rely on the official tool rather than older published figures when making travel or relocation plans.