Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is improving the online processing times tool to strengthen Canada’s immigration system by helping new clients predict how long it will take to process a complete immigration application.
Forward-looking processing times estimate how long it will take for clients applying today to get a final decision on their application (or to take the oath of citizenship, for citizenship grant applicants).
The estimates will receive monthly updates, and will provide realistic and up-to-date information so that clients can make travel and life plans on the basis of accurate timelines.
Those who have applied will also be closer to the front of queue. IRCC recommends that applicants do not send in a new application, as it would be put at the end of the queue.
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These processing times are now available for these applications:
- Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry)
- Provincial Nominees Program (Express Entry and non-Express Entry)
- Federal Skilled Workers (Express Entry)
- Quebec Skilled Workers
- citizenship grants
- citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)
- spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada
- spouse, common-law or conjugal partner living outside Canada
- parents or grandparents
For those application types that are not part of this list, IRCC said that it will still use backward-looking, historical processing times, which are calculated based on how long it took IRCC to process 80% of applications in the last 6 months for PR programs, or 8 or 16 weeks for temporary residence programs.
Various factors can affect the processing time including:
- the type of application submitted
- if the application is complete
- how quickly we process applications we’ve already received
- how easily we can verify your information
- how long you take to respond to any request or concerns
- other factors
For those still awaiting their application to be processed, the new forward-looking times may show estimates that are less than the amount of time they have already been waiting.
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The tool is a depiction of the amount of time that a person submitting a new application today could expect to wait, starting at the end of queue.
This is owing to the fact that various factors impact projected processing times at any given point in the year.
