IRCC Processing Times 2025: What You Need to Know Before You Apply for Canadian Immigration

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regularly updates its application processing timelines to reflect the current state of immigration services. Whether you're applying for permanent residence, a visitor visa, a study permit, or Canadian citizenship, staying updated on these timelines is crucial for planning your move to Canada.

This article breaks down the latest IRCC processing time trends as of mid-2025 and explains how they’ve changed over the past year. We also include real-life scenarios to help you understand how these changes could impact your immigration journey.

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What Are IRCC Processing Times and Service Standards?

• Processing Time refers to the average time IRCC takes to make a decision on an application—from the day they receive it to the final outcome.

• Service Standards are IRCC’s internal goals: they aim to process 80% of applications within these target times.

 Note: Just because your application fits the criteria doesn’t guarantee it will be processed within the estimated timeline.

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Major Changes in PR Processing Times

Express Entry: Stable and Predictable

Program	June 2024	Current
Canadian Experience Class	5 months	5 months
Federal Skilled Worker	5 months	5 months
Federal Skilled Trades	6 months	N/A

 

 Real Case: Raj, an IT professional from India, applied for Express Entry under the FSWP in January 2025. His PR was approved in May—exactly within the 5-month window.

IRCC Goal: 80% within 6 months.

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Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Base Stream Delays

Stream	June 2024	Current
Express Entry-aligned	6 months	5 months
Non-Express Entry (Base)	11 months	20 months

 

Real Case: Sofia from the Philippines applied under a Base PNP in March 2024. Her application is still pending as of June 2025 due to the increased processing time.

IRCC Target: 6 months (Enhanced), 11 months (Base Online)

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 Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): Longer Waits

Month	Processing Time
June 2024	7 months
June 2025	11 months

 

 Tip: AIP applicants can apply for a 2-year employer-specific work permit while waiting for their PR.

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Spousal Sponsorship: Mixed Trends

Class & Location	June 2024	Current
Spouse/Common-law in Canada (Non-Quebec)	10 months	29 months
Family Class (Outside Canada)	10 months	10 months
Quebec-bound (Inland & Outland)	28–34 months	26–36 months

 

Real Case: A Canadian citizen sponsoring her husband from India under the Family Class stream received PR approval within 10 months—matching the standard.

Service Target: 12 months (Family Class), no standard for inland cases.

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Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) & Visitor Records

Visitor Visa Outside Canada

Country	June 2024	Current
India	44 days	19 days
Nigeria	177 days	100 days
USA	27 days	19 days
Pakistan	110 days	27 days
Philippines	21 days	29 days

 

Visitor Visa Inside Canada

June 2024	Current
20 days	23 days

 

Visitor Record (Inside Canada)

June 2024	Current
88 days	161 days

 

Use Case: Many post-graduate work permit (PGWP) holders extend their stay through visitor records, but should now expect nearly 5-month delays.

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Work Permit Processing Times: Improvement for Most Countries

Country	June 2024	Current
India	19 weeks	15 weeks
Nigeria	21 weeks	12 weeks
USA	15 weeks	9 weeks
Pakistan	31 weeks	6 weeks
Philippines	28 weeks	6 weeks

 

Real Case: A healthcare worker from Nigeria saw her LMIA-based work permit processed in just under 12 weeks—down from over 5 months.

IRCC Goal: 60 days (outside), 120 days (inside)

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Study Permits: Canada Improves Domestic Processing

Inside Canada

June 2024	Current
14 weeks	5 weeks

 

Outside Canada

Country	Current
India	10 weeks
Nigeria	5 weeks
Pakistan	17 weeks
Philippines	17 weeks

 

Study Permit Extensions

June 2024	Current
236 days	55 days

 

Use Case: Students transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies now benefit from quicker permit extensions.

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Canadian Citizenship & Proof

Application Type	June 2024	Current
Citizenship Grant	8 months	10 months
Citizenship Certificate	3 months	4 months

 

✅ IRCC remains well within the 12-month standard for citizenship grants.

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IRCC’s Backlog: What’s the Current Status?

• Total Applications in Backlog (April 2025): 760,200

• Trend: Declining for 5 consecutive months.

• Total Application Inventory: 2,041,800

Key Highlights:

• PR backlog: 391,000 (56% processed within service standards)

• TR backlog: 324,300 (35% backlog rate)

• Citizenship backlog: Only 19% (well managed)

 IRCC is leveraging AI-based sorting and has implemented application caps to speed up processing.

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 How These Timelines Impact You: Real-Time Tips

• Plan Early: If you're applying under Base PNP, expect over a 1.5-year wait—consider Enhanced PNP if eligible.

• Temporary Route First: Apply for a TRV or work permit if PR processing takes too long.

• Use Bridging Programs: Programs like AIP and PGWP allow you to stay and work legally while waiting.

• Always Monitor Changes: IRCC updates timelines weekly or monthly depending on the stream.

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Final Thoughts

IRCC’s processing times have seen both improvements and setbacks over the past year. While Express Entry and work permits show faster results, spousal sponsorship and PNP base stream applicants face longer delays. However, IRCC’s ongoing efforts, including backlog reductions and tech upgrades, indicate a more streamlined future.