Speeding Through IRCC: 2024 Temporary Residence Processing Times
Individuals from abroad often seek temporary residence (TR) in Canada for various purposes such as work, study, or visiting. With differing eligibility criteria for each TR pathway, many applicants are eager to understand the expected processing times for their applications.
Gurmeet Sharma
To provide clarity, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes service standards outlining the reasonable duration for processing applications, depending on the application type. These standards offer applicants insights into when IRCC will make decisions regarding their applications.
It's important to note that processing times may exceed IRCC's published service standards, contingent on the type of permit and the applicant's location.
Key Insights into IRCC's Service Standards:
- IRCC aims to process 80% of applications across most lines of business within the provided service standards.
- Service standards apply only to complete applications with all required information and documents, excluding the time for application transmission or biometric submission.
Service Standards for Various TR Pathways in 2024:
Work Permits:
- Applications submitted outside Canada (excluding IEC): 60 days
- Work permit extensions in Canada: 120 days
- IEC work permit applications: 56 days or less
Economic:
- Issuance of opinions to employers on LMIA or work permit exemption: 14 days
Study Permits:
- New applications outside Canada: 60 days
- Applications in Canada (new permits and extensions): 120 days
Visitor Visa and eTA:
- New visitor visa applications outside Canada: 14 days
- New parent and grandparent super visa applications: 112 days
- eTAs: Automated approval within 5 minutes or next steps within 72 hours
IRCC's Performance in Meeting Service Standards (2022/2023):
- Work permit applications outside Canada (excluding IEC): 61%
- Work permit extensions in Canada: 30%
- IEC work permit applications: 100%
- Study permit applications outside Canada: 59%
- Study permit applications in Canada: 84%
- Visitor visa applications outside Canada: 23%
- Parent and grandparent super visa applications: 67%
- eTAs: 89% (5-minute service standard), 76% (72-hour service standard)
Understanding IRCC's service standards and past performance can help applicants manage expectations while navigating the temporary residence application process in Canada.
