IRCC Processing Times 2025: The recent update on the processing times as of December 10, 2025, is given by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Such IRCC processing times are now providing the applicants with a better glimpse as to how long they may wait before they get a visa, permits, permanent residency, or even citizenship determinations in the coming months.
Processing times are very important to families, workers, students, and permanent residence applicants as they think of their way forward.
Through these timelines new entrants can know when they will be allowed to reunite with their loved ones, take new jobs, commence studies or acquire other important immigration papers.
With our regular tracking of the updates of IRCC in the last five years, the trends indicated in this current release put into perspective the extent to which the volumes of processing and operational pressures continue to influence the outcomes of immigration in 2025.
This period also saw IRCC redesign its processing time tool to give estimates of the real timelines followed by 80 percent of all applicants.
This was an upgrade of the previous target-based system which would no longer be representative of the real wait times.
Categories of permanent residency and citizenship are now updated on a monthly basis, with temporary resident visa, work, study permits, and PR cards being updated on a weekly basis.
Although the estimates provided by IRCC are very informative to the applicants, they are not promising.
Waiting time may depend on the security screening, country of application, completeness of documents, the background verification and the internal capacity of IRCC.
Citizenship Processing Times
Updated Monthly
Application Type
Number of People Waiting For Decision & Comparison With Last Update
Processing Time (Dec 9, 2025)
Change Since November
Citizenship Grant
~297,000 (+6,300)
13 months
No change
Citizenship Certificate*
~40,400 (+1,400)
9 months
No change
Resumption of Citizenship
Not available
Not available
No change
Renunciation of Citizenship
Not available
11 months
-11 months
Search of Citizenship Records
Not available
13 months
No change
*Processing may take longer for applicants outside Canada or the United States.
IRCC is currently issuing acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) for applications submitted around September 15, 2025.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times
Updated Weekly
Application Type
Processing Time (Dec 10, 2025)
Change Since Nov
New PR Card
58 days
-1 day
PR Card Renewal
35 days
+3 days
Renewal applications show mild improvement, while new PR cards have slightly longer wait periods.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times
Updated Monthly
Category
Number Waiting & Change
Processing Time (Dec 9, 2025)
Change since Nov
Spouse/Common-Law (Outside Canada, non-Quebec)
~45,700 (+500)
14 months
No change
Spouse/Common-Law (Outside Canada, Quebec)
~19,400 (-700)
36 months
-1 month
Spouse/Common-Law (Inside Canada, non-Quebec)
~50,600 (+700)
20 months
No change
Spouse/Common-Law (Inside Canada, Quebec)
~12,000 (-200)
36 months
-1 month
Parents/Grandparents (non-Quebec)
~51,600 (+4,500)
40 months
-2 months
Parents/Grandparents (Quebec)
~12,600 (-300)
49 months
-1 month
Family sponsorship remains one of the most delayed categories,
Family sponsorship remains one of the most delayed categories, particularly in Quebec due to the additional provincial approval process.
Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) and Protected Persons
Updated Monthly
Category
Number Waiting & Change
Processing Time (Dec 9, 2025)
Change Since November
H&C Outside Quebec
~48,900 (-400)
More than 10 years
No change
H&C In Quebec
~17,600 (+600)
More than 10 years
No change
Protected Persons (Outside Quebec)
~145,600 (+4,300)
About 103 months
+3 months
Protected Persons (In Quebec)
~55,900 (+1,000)
About 108 months
+2 months
Dependents of Protected Persons
Not available
51 months
+1 month
These remain among the longest wait times in all Canadian immigration categories.
Canadian Passport Processing Times
Application Type
Current Processing Time
Change Since November
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
Passport services are some of the most stable and predictable, with most processed within two to three weeks.
Permanent Residency – Economic Class
Updated Monthly
Category
Number Waiting & Change
Processing Time (Dec 9, 2025)
Change Since November
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
~21,700 (+1,900)
7 months
No change
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
~27,600 (+3,100)
6 months
No change
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Not available
Not enough data
No change
PNP (Express Entry)
~10,200 (-500)
6 months
No change
Non-Express Entry PNP
~98,500 (+2,500)
16 months
No change
Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW)
~27,200 (+800)
11 months
No change
Quebec Business Class
~4,100
84 months
No change
Federal Self-Employed
~8,200 (-300)
More than 10 years
No change
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
~13,400 (+100)
37 months
No change
Start-Up Visa
~44,400 (+600)
More than 10 years
No change
Express Entry categories remain stable, while business and Atlantic programs continue experiencing extensive delays.
Temporary Visa Processing Times
Updated Weekly
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
Country
Processing Time (Dec 10, 2025)
Change Since November
India
117 days
+8 days
United States
31 days
-1 day
Nigeria
27 days
+2 days
Pakistan
86 days
-2 days
Philippines
20 days
-1 day
Visitor visa inside Canada: 17 days (-1 day Since November)
Visitor record extension: 185 days (-18 days Since November)
Super Visa Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (Dec 10, 2025)
Change Since November
India
182 days
+9 days
United States
42 days
-16 days
Nigeria
46 days
-2 days
Pakistan
198 days
No change
Philippines
124 days
+2 days
Study Permit Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (Dec 10, 2025)
Change Since November
India
4 weeks
No change
United States
5 weeks
-1 week
Nigeria
5 weeks
-1 week
Pakistan
5 weeks
-2 weeks
Philippines
4 weeks
No change
Study permit inside Canada: 8 weeks (-1 week Since November)
Study permit extension: 140 days (+11 days Since November)
Work Permit Processing Times
Country
Processing Time (Dec 10, 2025)
Change Since November
India
10 weeks
No change
United States
7 weeks
+3 weeks
Nigeria
8 weeks
-1 week
Pakistan
5 weeks
-3 weeks
Philippines
6 weeks
No change
Work permits inside Canada: 218 days (+11 days Since November)
Seasonal agricultural worker program: 11 days (-1 day Since November)
International Experience Canada (IEC): 5 weeks (No change Since November)
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): 5 minutes for most applicants; up to 72 hours for additional screening.
Some streams of the Express Entry have remained to follow the same timeline, but other categories of the program, including citizenship, humanitarian streams, Super Visas, and some in-Canada extensions remain lengthening.
Quebec applications are still slower thanks to the two provincial-federal review set up.
With large immigration rates in Canada and the constant modernization of the IRCC processes, the applicants need to be prepared to have ups and downs and make plans far ahead of the due dates.
It is still necessary to submit full documentation, update regularly, and create flexible schedules.
Check The Updated IRCC Processing Times For December 2025.
IRCC Processing Times 2025: The recent update on the processing times as of December 10, 2025, is given by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Such IRCC processing times are now providing the applicants with a better glimpse as to how long they may wait before they get a visa, permits, permanent residency, or even citizenship determinations in the coming months.
Processing times are very important to families, workers, students, and permanent residence applicants as they think of their way forward.
Through these timelines new entrants can know when they will be allowed to reunite with their loved ones, take new jobs, commence studies or acquire other important immigration papers.
With our regular tracking of the updates of IRCC in the last five years, the trends indicated in this current release put into perspective the extent to which the volumes of processing and operational pressures continue to influence the outcomes of immigration in 2025.
This period also saw IRCC redesign its processing time tool to give estimates of the real timelines followed by 80 percent of all applicants.
This was an upgrade of the previous target-based system which would no longer be representative of the real wait times.
Categories of permanent residency and citizenship are now updated on a monthly basis, with temporary resident visa, work, study permits, and PR cards being updated on a weekly basis.
Although the estimates provided by IRCC are very informative to the applicants, they are not promising.
Waiting time may depend on the security screening, country of application, completeness of documents, the background verification and the internal capacity of IRCC.
Citizenship Processing Times
Updated Monthly
*Processing may take longer for applicants outside Canada or the United States.
IRCC is currently issuing acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) for applications submitted around September 15, 2025.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times
Updated Weekly
Renewal applications show mild improvement, while new PR cards have slightly longer wait periods.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times
Updated Monthly
Family sponsorship remains one of the most delayed categories,
Family sponsorship remains one of the most delayed categories, particularly in Quebec due to the additional provincial approval process.
Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) and Protected Persons
Updated Monthly
These remain among the longest wait times in all Canadian immigration categories.
Canadian Passport Processing Times
Passport services are some of the most stable and predictable, with most processed within two to three weeks.
Permanent Residency – Economic Class
Updated Monthly
Express Entry categories remain stable, while business and Atlantic programs continue experiencing extensive delays.
Temporary Visa Processing Times
Updated Weekly
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
Super Visa Processing Times
Study Permit Processing Times
Work Permit Processing Times
Some streams of the Express Entry have remained to follow the same timeline, but other categories of the program, including citizenship, humanitarian streams, Super Visas, and some in-Canada extensions remain lengthening.
Quebec applications are still slower thanks to the two provincial-federal review set up.
With large immigration rates in Canada and the constant modernization of the IRCC processes, the applicants need to be prepared to have ups and downs and make plans far ahead of the due dates.
It is still necessary to submit full documentation, update regularly, and create flexible schedules.
Author: Shubham
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