The immigration system in Canada has kept on changing, and the latest processing time update published by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was published on November 6, 2025.
Processing times are the waiting period that individuals have to spend to join their family members, new studies, work arrangements under skilled programs, or get permanent residence/citizenship.
These changes are very essential to the applicants who intend to take the step next time, be it a visa, a permanent citizenship, work permit, study permit, or citizenship.
We have been monitoring such timelines in the past four years, and that has assisted applicants to make sound choices regarding their immigration avenue.
Recently, IRCC has reconfigured its processing tool to display realistic timelines of 80 percent of applications as opposed to set targets which were no longer in line with reality.
Currently, the timeframes of the permanent residence and citizenship are renewed once every month, whereas the processing times of temporary visa, PR card, and permit are renewed on a weekly basis.
One has to keep in mind that the estimates provided by IRCC are not a guarantee.
The processing speed may range extensively depending on the nation of application, background checks, the complexity of the case and the workload that is being carried out by IRCC.
This complete resource will cover the latest processing times of IRCC under all significant categories, compare the latest updates with the previous ones, and discuss why such schedules are becoming more significant than ever in 2025.
Citizenship Processing Times – Updated Monthly
Application Type
Number of People Waiting
Processing Time as of November 6, 2025
Change Since October Update
Citizenship Grant
~290,700 +7,000
13 months
No change
Citizenship Certificate*
~39,000 +3,600
9 months
+1 month
Resumption of Citizenship
Not available
Not enough data
No change
Renunciation of Citizenship
Not available
22 months
+12 months
Search of Citizenship Records
Not available
13 months
No change
*Delays for citizenship certificates are longer when requested from outside Canada or the United States.
IRCC is currently issuing acknowledgement of receipt letters for citizenship applications submitted around July 28, 2025.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times – Updated Weekly
Application Type
Processing Time (November 5, 2025)
Change Since October 29
New PR Card
61 days
No change
PR Card Renewal
29 days
-1 day
Applicants applying for renewals are seeing modest improvements, while new cards are experiencing slightly longer waits.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times – Updated Monthly
Sponsorship Category
People Waiting
Processing Time as of November 6, 2025
Change Since October Update
Spouse/Common-Law (Outside Canada, non-Quebec)
~45,200 -700
14 months
-1 month
Spouse/Common-Law (Outside Canada, Quebec)
~20,100 -200
37 months
-2 months
Spouse/Common-Law (Inside Canada, non-Quebec)
~49,900 +400
20 months
-2 months
Spouse/Common-Law (Inside Canada, Quebec)
~12,200 +100
37 months
-2 months
Parents/Grandparents (non-Quebec)
~47,100 +5,600
42 months
+16 months
Parents/Grandparents (Quebec)
~12,900 +1,100
50 months
+6 months
Family sponsorships continue to be among the longest categories to process, particularly in Quebec, where provincial approval adds another layer of delay.
Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) and Protected Persons in Canada – Updated Monthly
Category
People Waiting
Processing Time as of November 6, 2025
Change Since October Update
H&C Outside Quebec
~49,300 -100
More than 10 years
No change
H&C In Quebec
~17,000 +300
More than 10 years
No change
Protected Persons (Outside Quebec)
~141,300 +4,200
About 100 months
+1 month
Protected Persons (In Quebec)
~54,900 +1,200
About 106 months
+2 months
Dependents of Protected Persons
Not available
50 months
No change
These humanitarian pathways remain among the slowest, with backlogs stretching across several years.
Canadian Passport Processing Times
Application Type
Current Processing Time
Change
New Passport (In-person, Canada)
10 business days
No change
New Passport (Mail, Canada)
20 business days
No change
Urgent Pick-Up
Next business day
No change
Express Pick-Up
2–9 business days
No change
Passport Mailed from Outside Canada
20 business days
No change
Processing for passports remains stable and predictable, with most requests handled within two to three weeks.
Permanent Residency – Economic Class
Program
People Waiting
Processing Times as of November 6, 2025
Change Since October Update
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
~19,800 +1,900
7 months
+1 month
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
~24,500 +700
6 months
No change
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Not available
Not enough data
No change
PNP (Express Entry)
~10,700 -800
6 months
-1 month
Non-Express Entry PNP
~96,000 +1,300
16 months
No change
Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW)
~26,400 +1,600
11 months
No change
Quebec Business Class
~4,100
84 months
No change
Federal Self-Employed
~8,500 -100
More than 10 years
No change
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
~13,300 +200
37 months
No change
Start-Up Visa
~43,800 +600
More than 10 years
No change
The latest data shows mixed trends. While Express Entry programs remain steady, business immigration and Atlantic programs have experienced massive jumps in processing time.
Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa) Processing Times – Updated Weekly
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
Country
Processing Time (November 6, 2025)
Change Since October 29
India
99 days
+13 days
United States
36 days
-4 days
Nigeria
27 days
-3 days
Pakistan
59 days
+3 days
Philippines
21 days
-3 days
Visitor Visa (Inside Canada): 19 days (No change)
Visitor Extension (Record): 186 days ( +4 days)
Super Visa Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (November 5, 2025)
Change Since October 29
India
169 days
+1 day
United States
58 days
-18 days
Nigeria
50 days
-1 day
Pakistan
200 days
-3 days
Philippines
102 days
+25 days
Study Permit Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (November 5, 2025)
Change Since October 29
India
4 weeks
-1 week
United States
5 weeks
No change
Nigeria
8 weeks
No change
Pakistan
9 weeks
-1 week
Philippines
5 weeks
No change
Study Permit (Inside Canada): 12 weeks ( +1 week)
Study Permit Extension: 169 days ( +1 day)
Work Permit Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (November 5, 2025)
Change Since October 29
India
10 weeks
No change
United States
4 weeks
No change
Nigeria
9 weeks
-1 week
Pakistan
6 weeks
-2 weeks
Philippines
6 weeks
No change
Work Permits From Inside Canada (Initial and Extension): 227 days ( +1 day)
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: 15 days ( -44 days)
International Experience Canada (IEC): 6 weeks (No change)
Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA): Most applicants require 5 minutes although some can require up to 72 hours because of additional screening.
IRCC update of November 2025 is a mixed picture.
Whereas other Express Entry programs such as Federal Skilled Worker Program and Provincial Nominee Program have improved, other programs such as Citizenship, CEC and Super Visa programs have increased their length in the timeline.
Processing capacity, regional backlog, and the increase in immigration volumes have continued to affect the wait times in categories.
Quebec apps are still slower because of provincial and federal coordination.
To prevent unjustified delays, it is important that the applicants check new changes frequently, set time frames realistically, and create full applications.
The immigration applications that are being processed by Canada are still at record levels, and the increasing demand makes it more crucial than ever to keep track of the processing times.
It is also advisable that the applicants keep an eye on the updates and have correct documents ready and implement flexibility in their plans. The recent data indicates that the categories are also stabilizing, although some categories have been experiencing increased delays.
Staying updated will assist the applicants save time, expectations and have a better planning of their future in Canada.
Check the Latest Canada Immigration Processing Times – November 2025
The immigration system in Canada has kept on changing, and the latest processing time update published by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was published on November 6, 2025.
Processing times are the waiting period that individuals have to spend to join their family members, new studies, work arrangements under skilled programs, or get permanent residence/citizenship.
These changes are very essential to the applicants who intend to take the step next time, be it a visa, a permanent citizenship, work permit, study permit, or citizenship.
We have been monitoring such timelines in the past four years, and that has assisted applicants to make sound choices regarding their immigration avenue.
Recently, IRCC has reconfigured its processing tool to display realistic timelines of 80 percent of applications as opposed to set targets which were no longer in line with reality.
Currently, the timeframes of the permanent residence and citizenship are renewed once every month, whereas the processing times of temporary visa, PR card, and permit are renewed on a weekly basis.
One has to keep in mind that the estimates provided by IRCC are not a guarantee.
The processing speed may range extensively depending on the nation of application, background checks, the complexity of the case and the workload that is being carried out by IRCC.
This complete resource will cover the latest processing times of IRCC under all significant categories, compare the latest updates with the previous ones, and discuss why such schedules are becoming more significant than ever in 2025.
Citizenship Processing Times – Updated Monthly
+7,000
+3,600
*Delays for citizenship certificates are longer when requested from outside Canada or the United States.
IRCC is currently issuing acknowledgement of receipt letters for citizenship applications submitted around July 28, 2025.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times – Updated Weekly
(November 5, 2025)
October 29
Applicants applying for renewals are seeing modest improvements, while new cards are experiencing slightly longer waits.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times – Updated Monthly
-700
-200
+400
+100
+5,600
+1,100
Family sponsorships continue to be among the longest categories to process, particularly in Quebec, where provincial approval adds another layer of delay.
Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) and Protected Persons in Canada – Updated Monthly
-100
+300
+4,200
+1,200
These humanitarian pathways remain among the slowest, with backlogs stretching across several years.
Canadian Passport Processing Times
Processing for passports remains stable and predictable, with most requests handled within two to three weeks.
Permanent Residency – Economic Class
+1,900
+700
-800
+1,300
+1,600
-100
+200
+600
The latest data shows mixed trends. While Express Entry programs remain steady, business immigration and Atlantic programs have experienced massive jumps in processing time.
Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa) Processing Times – Updated Weekly
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
(November 6, 2025)
October 29
Super Visa Processing Times
(November 5, 2025)
October 29
Study Permit Processing Times
(November 5, 2025)
October 29
Work Permit Processing Times
(November 5, 2025)
October 29
Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA): Most applicants require 5 minutes although some can require up to 72 hours because of additional screening.
IRCC update of November 2025 is a mixed picture.
Whereas other Express Entry programs such as Federal Skilled Worker Program and Provincial Nominee Program have improved, other programs such as Citizenship, CEC and Super Visa programs have increased their length in the timeline.
Processing capacity, regional backlog, and the increase in immigration volumes have continued to affect the wait times in categories.
Quebec apps are still slower because of provincial and federal coordination.
To prevent unjustified delays, it is important that the applicants check new changes frequently, set time frames realistically, and create full applications.
The immigration applications that are being processed by Canada are still at record levels, and the increasing demand makes it more crucial than ever to keep track of the processing times.
It is also advisable that the applicants keep an eye on the updates and have correct documents ready and implement flexibility in their plans. The recent data indicates that the categories are also stabilizing, although some categories have been experiencing increased delays.
Staying updated will assist the applicants save time, expectations and have a better planning of their future in Canada.
Author: Shubham
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