The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently released updated monthly processing times for citizenship and immigration applications.
According to Immigration News Canada(INC), the agency regularly updates processing times for transparency; providing monthly updates for citizenship, family sponsorship, and economic immigration applications, while temporary residency and PR card processing times are updated weekly.
Tracking the latest updates from IRCC allows applicants to stay ahead and make informed decisions about their applications.
Citizenship Processing Times
The updated processing times for citizenship applications reflect significant changes. As of October 8th, the Citizenship Grant application now takes approximately six months, a reduction of one month since the last update.
Conversely, the processing time for obtaining a Citizenship Certificate has increased to four months, marking a one-month increase since the last review. Other notable times include:
- Renunciation of Citizenship: 16 months (no change)
- Search of Citizenship Records: 12 months (increased by one month)
INC reports that IRCC is currently sending an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) letters for citizenship applications received in the week of September 20th, 2024.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times
Permanent Resident (PR) card processing times were updated on October 1st. The processing time for new PR cards now stands at 26 days, which reflects a one-day increase.
In contrast, the renewal process has improved slightly, reducing the timeframe to 69 days, down by one day since the previous update.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times
Family sponsorship processing times have remained largely unchanged in this latest update.
For applications submitted outside Canada, the timeframe for sponsoring a spouse or common-law partner is still 10 months, while sponsorship from within Canada remains at 13 months. Other specific timelines include:
- Parents/Grandparents (Outside Quebec): 24 months (no change)
- Parents/Grandparents (for Quebec): 48 months (no change)
These times indicate the ongoing challenges faced by applicants as they navigate the sponsorship process.
Economic and Temporary Residency Processing Times
Processing times for economic immigration programs remain stable in this update.
The Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Worker Program both maintain a processing time of five months. However, the Quebec Business Class has seen an increase, now requiring 49 months to process applications.
Temporary residency applications reflect variability depending on the applicant’s country of origin. For instance, visitor visa processing times from India have risen to 105 days, an increase of three days since the last update.
In contrast, INC reports that processing for visitor visas from the United States has decreased to 32 days, down by two days since September 24.
These processing time updates from IRCC are critical for applicants looking to be properly guided as staying informed helps manage expectations and plan for a successful immigration process.
For specific inquiries or further guidance, it is advisable to consult the IRCC website or contact an immigration professional. Regular updates are essential for all applicants to stay informed and adapt to any changes in processing timelines.
