Making Sense of IRCC Processing Times
The following is legal information and not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is the government department responsible for receiving and processing all applications related to travel, immigration and citizenship to Canada. As part of the processing of these applications, on their website, IRCC provides estimated timelines on how long it takes for a decision to be made. These timelines are commonly referred to as ‘IRCC Processing Times’.
Below we provide some quick facts to help you better understand what processing times are, how IRCC determines them, and why the posted timelines do not always match your experiences.
Fact 1: Processing times are application ‘category’ and ‘type’ specific
- IRCC lists processing times based on the category, and type of Immigration or Citizenship application.
- Examples of Categories: Temporary Residence, Permanent Residence, Citizenship, Travel Documents, Amendments, etc.
- Examples of ‘Types’: In-Canada versus outside of Canada Sponsorships, initial Work Permits versus extensions, Visitor Visas versus eTAs, etc.
- But, IRCC does not publish the processing times for some application types, for example Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs).
- And, some application categories and types will have only one processing time listed for all applicants, and some will have different processing times depending on what country a person is applying from.
Fact 2: Posted processing times are an ‘average’
- The posted processing times reflect how long it takes IRCC to process most of that application category and type. It is an average, not an exact number.
- Posted processing times vary and change over time. IRCC will usually update the posted times on a weekly or monthly basis. The updates are meant to reflect real-time, i.e. how long it has recently taken for IRCC to process that category and type of application.
- The applicable processing time for an application is what is posted at the time the application was submitted. Because these times can change, it may be that an application submitted a month ago or a month in the future will be longer or shorter than what is posted today.
Fact 3: Processing times are not a binding on IRCC
- The posted processing times are not a deadline for IRCC to respond by. It is not uncommon for a decision on an application to take longer than the posted time.
- Each individual application is different, and every application will be different in how long it takes for IRCC to make a decision.
- This means, even if two people apply for the same thing, on the same day, there will very likely be a difference in how long it takes for each of them to get a decision.
- Factors that impact how long processing actually is:
- Which Immigration Officer the application is assigned to
- How many applications IRCC is receiving on that day, week, month, etc.
- What country a person is applying from or is a national of
- The category and type of the application
- The number of people (applicants) being included in the application
- Whether the application is considered ‘complicated’ by IRCC
While processing times can be a helpful tool to understand how long an application will take, it is important to remember that they are not exact and do not guarantee your application will take the same amount of time. The most important thing to do is make sure you are always paying attention to the communication channels IRCC may use to contact you, respond to any requests within their deadlines, and if you have questions or concerns about an application to contact your Representative or local legal clinic for assistance.
To check processing times, please see the IRCC webpage: Check processing times at IRCC – Canada.ca
For more information about IRCC Applications and Processing Times, please visit the IRCC Website or please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext.1.