Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) has updated its estimated processing times for immigration and citizenship applications as of May 12, 2026. The update covers several key areas: economic immigration, family sponsorship, and citizenship.
IRCC explains that processing times depend on the type of application, the completeness of the documentation, the complexity of the checks, the number of applications in the queue, and the agency’s operational capacity. Processing times may also include time for biometrics.
Economic Immigration Programs
Among economic programs, some processing times have remained stable, but certain categories are showing an increase in workload.
According to updated data, the Canadian Experience Class currently has an estimated processing time of about 7 months. The same timeframe applies to the PNP through Express Entry. For the main streams of the Provincial Nominee Program outside of Express Entry, the processing time is approximately 14 months.
The Atlantic Immigration Program stands out separately. Although this program remains important for employers and applicants in the Atlantic provinces, its estimated processing time is about 38 months.
Programs with Very Long Processing Times
Some federal economic programs still have extremely long processing times. In particular, for the Start-Up Visa Program and the Federal Self-Employed Persons Program, the estimated processing time exceeds 10 years.
This means that applicants considering these programs should carefully assess the realism of their expectations, their financial planning, and alternative immigration pathways.
Family Sponsorship
Processing times for family sponsorship vary significantly depending on the applicant’s location and whether the case involves Quebec.
For a spouse or common-law partner inside Canada, if the applicant plans to live outside Quebec, the estimated processing time is approximately 25 months.
For a spouse or common-law partner outside Canada, also for residence outside Quebec, the processing time is approximately 16 months.
For the Parents and Grandparents Program outside Quebec, the estimated processing time is about 33 months. For Quebec, processing times are significantly longer—about 66 months.
Canadian Citizenship
There are also changes in the citizenship category. The estimated processing time for applications for Canadian citizenship is about 13 months. This is one month longer than in the previous update.
For searches of citizenship records, the processing time remains approximately 17 months.
Why processing times may vary
IRCC emphasizes that the published processing times are estimates. They may vary depending on the number of applications in the system, planned immigration levels, internal priorities, the complexity of cases, and the speed of document processing. An application may also take longer to process if the documentation is incomplete, additional checks are required, or there are concerns regarding the applicant’s security or admissibility.
It is also important to note that calling IRCC usually does not speed up the processing of an application. The agency will notify applicants if additional documents or information are required.
What this means for applicants
If you are planning to apply for permanent residence, family sponsorship, or Canadian citizenship, you should take current processing times into account before starting the process. This is especially important for those planning a move, status renewal, employment, studies, family reunification, or financial expenses related to waiting for a decision.
Applicants should check their program’s requirements in advance, submit a complete set of documents, regularly check their IRCC account, and respond promptly to requests from the agency.