Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published new processing time figures on March 9, 2026 that provide relief and concern among applicants throughout the board.
The recent IRCC processing times update encompasses all the key streams, including the citizenship grants and work permits, family sponsorship and economic immigration, and temporary visa.
It is an IRCC processing times report of March 2026 providing a clear picture of where wait times are being reduced, where they are increasing, and where they are still floating in limbo.
IRCC bases these timelines on the real performance of applicants and not on the future goals.
Particularly, the department will report the range of time period in which 80 percent of the applicants were decided.
The majority of permanent residency and citizenship programs are updated monthly, whereas temporary resident programs (visitor visas, work permits, study permits and PR cards) are updated weekly.
These averages may vary greatly on an individual basis.
The level of security screening, whether the applicant is an immigrant or not, whether the file is submitted in full, background checks schedule and the internal capacity of the IRCC staff are all variables that determine the speed or slowness of any given application.
The following is a list of a detailed category-by-category overview of all the processing times included in the release in March of 2026, which is meant to assist applicants in establishing the right expectations.
Citizenship Processing Times (Updated monthly)
Following months of slow accretion, the data of March 2026 on citizenship is a dose of good news.
| Application Type | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (March 9, 2026) | Change Since February 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | ~320,300 (+7,300) | 13 months | -1 month |
| Citizenship certificate* | ~50,900 (+3,000) | 10 months | -1 month |
| Resumption of citizenship | Not available | Not enough data | No change |
| Renunciation of citizenship | Not available | 10 months | -8 months |
| Search of citizenship records | Not available | 17 months | +1 month |
The duration of processing of citizenship grants has also been reduced by one month to around 13 months, one month less than the 14 months estimate that was recorded in February.
It is at that, demand has been surpassing completions. This queue stands at approximately 320,300, or a net increment of approximately 7,300 persons than it was the previous month.
The same positive trend was observed in the timelines of citizenship certificates. The existing wait is 10 months as compared to 11 months in the previous month.
Its pipeline comprises about 50,900 applicants, which is an increment of 3,000 since February.
In the meantime, the category of the resumption of citizenship does not provide any data whatsoever, so the applicants have no idea when they will be able to obtain it in the first place.
Fighting the positive tide, the search for citizenship books went up by one additional month to 17 months. This group has been experiencing a gradual yet gradual slope through 2026.
IRCC is also sending acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) notices on citizenship applications submitted on or approximately October 15, 2025, at the time of publication.
Another factor that can increase processing windows is the applicants, who are outside of Canada or the United States.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times (Updated weekly)
| Application Type | Processing Time (March 3, 2026) | Change Since Last Week | Change Since January 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New PR card | 61 days | No change | -1 day |
| PR card renewal | 28 days | -1 day | -3 days |
PR card turn around remains a point of light in the larger IRCC system.
By March 3, 2026, the new PR cards will be issued in around 61 days, which is unchanged to the previous week, but one day slower than the January 21 baseline.
The pace of renewal applications is accelerating to 28 days, one day less than the amount in the prior week and three days less than the same number in January 21.
Family Sponsorship Processing Times (Updated monthly)
Application family class March 2026 provides a split decision on family class applicants.
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (March 9, 2026) | Change Since February 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse/common-law outside Canada (non-Quebec) | ~48,200 (+900) | 15 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law outside Canada (Quebec) | ~18,900 (-200) | 35 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law inside Canada (non-Quebec) | ~52,400 (-200) | 21 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law inside Canada (Quebec) | ~12,300 (+200) | 36 months | +1 month |
| Parents/grandparents (non-Quebec) | ~46,600 (-1,700) | 34 months | -1 month |
| Parents/grandparents (Quebec) | ~11,700 (-300) | 46 months | -1 month |
Outland spousal or common-law sponsorship to other destinations other than Quebec is held at 15 months the same as in February. The line has risen by 900 to an approximate of 48,200 people.
Quebec stream too is flat at 35 months but the queue was shrinking slightly by 200, bringing about 18900 applicants.
Inland spousal sponsorship beyond Quebec remains at 21 months with the queue actually falling by 200 to about 52,400 individuals, a minor but encouraging indicia.
The processing increased by one month to 36 months within Quebec. There are about 12,300 applicants in the queue at the moment, which is 200 more than in the previous month.
There is no better news than parenting and grandparents sponsorship, which presents the uplifting news in the family class during the second month.
Non-Quebec stream dropped one month to 34 months and the queue reduced by around 1700 to an average of 46600 people.
Quebec parent and grandparent sponsorship also gained a one-month and settled at 46 months and the queue fell to 300 to about 11,700.
The two months in a row of decreasing processing times in this category indicate that IRCC has been operating with a sustainable focus on clearing this backlog.
Humanitarian and Compassionate And Protected Persons (Updated monthly)
This group of categories continues to represent the most severe bottleneck in the Canadian immigration pipeline.
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (March 9, 2026) | Change Since February 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&C outside Quebec | ~50,500 (+700) | More than 10 years | No change |
| H&C in Quebec | ~18,500 (+400) | More than 10 years | No change |
| Protected persons inside Canada (outside Quebec) | ~100,800 (+1,300) | About 16 months | -1 month |
| Protected persons inside Canada (in Quebec) | ~37,100 (+100) | About 112 months | No change |
| Dependents of protected persons (outside Quebec) | ~57,000 (+1,600) | About 39 months | +2 months |
| Dependents of protected persons (in Quebec) | ~21,100 (+300) | More than 10 years | No change |
Both in and out of Quebec, H&C applications are stagnant on processing estimates over 10 years old, having not been processed in the slightest since February.
Non Quebec H&C queue increased by 700 to an estimated 50,500 individuals. This was 400 more applicants to the Quebec H&C queue, which now had approximately 18,500 applicants.
To a relatively brighter note, the timeline of protected persons living in Canada outside Quebec was improved by one month and settled at around 16 months.
The line increased to 1300 approximately 100,800 individuals. The Quebec counterpart is at only 112 months with no increment; at that point more or less 37,100 are on the waiting list, which is only 100 above the previous month.
Dependents of Canadian nationals outside Quebec were moving in the wrong direction, which increased the time by two months to around 39 months. Their queue increased to about 57,000, having increased by 1,600.
The processing estimate of over 10 years with no change on the previous period is being experienced by dependents in the province of Quebec. That line has almost 21,100 people waiting in it, already increased by 300.
Canadian Passport Processing Times
| Application Type | Current Processing Time | Change Since February 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 carry on with their streak of reliability. Any of the timelines under this category is the same as the one that IRCC has been reporting on in recent months.
Using paper-based applications in a domestic Service Canada office continues to take 10 business days. The inside Canada mail-in submissions take 20 business days.
Urgent pick-up is possible within the next business day whereas express pick-up takes between two to nine business days.
Externally mailed applications are also slow by 20 business days.
Important observation: Passport services are solid and are undoubtedly the most reliable part of the work of the IRCC.
Permanent Residency Processing Times (Updated monthly)
The economic immigration pathways that Canada has followed in terms of which most skilled workers, business owners and provincial nominees are dependent indicate a rather frozen scenario in March 2026.
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (March 9, 2026) | Change Since January 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | ~44,300 (+10,100) | 7 months | No change |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | ~45,300 (+2,300) | 7 months | No change |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | Not available | Not enough data | No change |
| PNP (Express Entry) | ~13,000 (+600) | 7 months | No change |
| Non-Express Entry PNP | ~108,000 (-300) | 13 months | No change |
| Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) | ~26,900 (+500) | 11 months | No change |
| Quebec Business Class | ~3,900 (No change) | 80 months | No change |
| Federal Self-Employed | ~8,100 (No change) | More than 10 years | No change |
| Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) | ~13,500 (-200) | 33 months | No change |
| Start-Up Visa | ~45,900 (+300) | More than 10 years | No change |
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) has a timeline of seven months which has not changed in February.
However, the queue has burst by about 10,100 individuals to about 44,300, the greatest month-by-month increase in any economic category this year.
Once the line is increasing rapidly without a corresponding rise in processing speed, this is an indication that new applications are accumulating faster than IRCC can clear the ones that are already in its queue.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is a reflection of the CEC where it takes seven months of processing without movement. It increased its queue by 2,300 to approximately 45,300 applicants.
Express Entry PNP applications also stand at seven months with the queue increasing by 600 to approximately 13,000.
The non-Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) remains stable with a 13 months time keeping the dramatic three months cut that it made last month.
Temporary Visa Processing Times (Updated weekly)
The temporary visa situation of March 2026 covers visitor visas, super visas, study permits, and work permits of the five most frequently represented countries of origin.
Since these numbers are updated weekly as opposed to monthly, they provide a more detailed view of the rate at which the situation is changing at the ground level.
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
| Country | Processing Time (March 3, 2026) | Change Since Last Week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 66 days | -5 days | -17 days |
| United States | 19 days | -4 days | -6 days |
| Nigeria | 55 days | -1 day | +15 days |
| Pakistan | 51 days | -2 days | -5 days |
| Philippines | 16 days | -2 days | No change |
- Visitor visa inside Canada: 18 days (-1 day since last week, but +4 days since Dec 31, 2025)
- Visitor record extension: 226 days (+8 days since last week and +65 days Since January 28, 2026)
Key concern: Visitor records are growing faster at an alarming pace. It is now estimated to be at 226 days, eight days longer than last week, and a humiliating 65 days longer than the figure of January 28.
Any person intending to continue his or her status as a visitor must apply long before just in order to maintain implied status pending the decision by the IRCC.
Super Visa Processing Times
| Country | Processing Time (March 3, 2026) | Change Since Last Week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 210 days | No change | -4 days |
| United States | 207 days | +2 days | +20 days |
| Nigeria | 44 days | -3 days | +6 days |
| Pakistan | 138 days | +2 days | +14 days |
| Philippines | 90 days | -10 days | -19 days |
Study Permit Processing Times
Most countries held steady on study permit timelines this week, but one glaring exception dominates this category.
| Country | Processing Time (March 3, 2026) | Change Since Last Week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 4 weeks | No change | No change |
| United States | 6 weeks | No change | -1 week |
| Nigeria | 8 weeks | No change | +1 week |
| Pakistan | 15 weeks | No change | +10 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | No change | No change |
- Study permit inside Canada: 9 weeks (No change since last week and +2 weeks Since January 28, 2026)
- Study permit extension: 90 days (+1 day since last week, but -14 days Since January 28, 2026)
Work Permit Processing Times
The image of the work permit is quite peaceful, but there are two sharp outliers that need to be pointed out.
| Country | Processing Time (March 3, 2026) | Change Since Last Week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 8 weeks | No change | No change |
| United States | 9 weeks | -1 week | -1 week |
| Nigeria | 13 weeks | +2 weeks | +4 weeks |
| Pakistan | 30 weeks | No change | +10 weeks |
| Philippines | 7 weeks | No change | +1 week |
- Work permits inside Canada including extensions: 258 days (+2 days since last week, +17 days Since January 28, 2026, and +48 days since Dec 31, 2025)
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: 7 days (-1 day since last week and -3 days since Dec 31)
- International Experience Canada (IEC): 2 weeks (-6 weeks Since January 28, 2026, and -4 weeks since Dec 31, 2025)
- Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): 5 minutes for most applicants; up to 72 hours for additional screening
In a bigger picture, the March 2026 processing times based on IRCC depict a system that is going through conflicting forces.
The processing of citizenship and certificates came up much quicker, the renunciation was corrected dramatically, and the sponsorship of parents and grandparents is on the right track for the second consecutive month.
Meanwhile, CECs are ballooning, the Pakistani-origin applicants are facing climbs of processing costs in several streams and extensions of visitor records are climbing to territories of deep concern.
Most of these tensions are already indicated by the February 2026 IRCC processing times, and the March data confirms that they are getting worse instead of getting better.
To keep up to date of Canadian immigration news, changing policy environments, and the time it takes IRCC to process an application, bookmark this page and visit it regularly, as new weekly and monthly statistics will be released all year long in 2026.