On September 2, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest update on application timelines for temporary residence applications. The new figures show shorter waits in several areas, although some categories also saw increases.
The biggest changes in the latest update include:
- Work permits: one-week decline for Pakistan
- Study permits: two-week decline for India
- Super visas: 23-day decline for Pakistan; 11-day decline for the Philippines
The update also showed some longer waits. Work permit applicants from the Philippines saw a two-week increase, while applicants from India saw a one-week increase. Study permit applicants applying from inside Canada also saw their wait increase by one week.
The latest figures compare the September 2 estimates with those reported on August 26.
IRCC is expected to release its next temporary residence update around September 9, 2026.
Work Permit
Work permit wait times moved in different directions depending on where the application was submitted.
Applicants from Pakistan saw their wait fall by one week. The wait for applications made from inside Canada also dropped and reached a new low for 2026.
However, applicants from India and the Philippines saw longer waits. The Philippines recorded the largest increase, with the wait rising by two weeks.
| Applying From: | Current (September 2) | Previous (August 26) |
| Canada | 113 days | 115 days |
| India | 10 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Pakistan | 7 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Nigeria | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
| United States | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Philippines | 7 weeks | 5 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
Study Permit
Study permit applicants from India saw a two-week improvement in the latest update.
The picture was different for applicants applying from inside Canada. Their wait increased by one week, reaching its highest level in at least three months.
The other listed countries did not see any change in their study permit estimates.
| Applying From: | Current (September 2) | Previous (August 26) |
| Canada | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
| India | 5 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Pakistan | 7 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Nigeria | 9 weeks | 9 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
| Philippines | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days
Visitor Visa
Visitor visa wait times changed only slightly in the latest update.
The changes ranged from one to two days for the countries listed. Applicants from India and Canada saw small declines, while Pakistan and Nigeria saw increases.
The United States and the Philippines also recorded small improvements.
| Applying From: | Current (September 2) | Previous (August 26) |
| Canada | 11 days | 12 days |
| India | 31 days | 32 days |
| Pakistan | 78 days | 77 days |
| Nigeria | 80 days | 78 days |
| United States | 20 days | 21 days |
| Philippines | 18 days | 20 days |
Service standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days
Super Visa
Super visa applicants saw shorter waits in most of the countries included in the latest update.
Pakistan recorded the largest decline, with the wait falling by 23 days. The Philippines saw a decline of 11 days, while applicants from the United States and Nigeria also saw shorter waits.
India was the only listed country where the wait increased. The wait rose by five days.
| Applying From: | Current (September 2) | Previous (August 26) |
| India | 66 days | 61 days |
| Pakistan | 139 days | 162 days |
| Nigeria | 52 days | 55 days |
| United States | 116 days | 123 days |
| Philippines | 93 days | 104 days |
Service standard: 112 days
Note: Super visa applications can only be submitted from outside Canada.
How IRCC Application Estimates Work?
IRCC uses application estimates to give applicants an idea of how long a newly submitted application may take. These figures are estimates and do not give a fixed deadline or guarantee.
The actual time can be different from the figure shown by IRCC. Several factors can affect an application, including the number of applications in the system, the type of application, available staff, missing documents and extra checks.
IRCC uses two main methods to set its estimates:
- Historical estimates: measured by how long it took to finalize 80% of previously completed applications; or
- Forward-looking estimates: based on the number of applications in the inventory and the resources available to process them.
On the other hand, service standards are different from application estimates. They are targets that show how quickly IRCC aims to complete around 80% of applications under normal conditions.
Application estimates can move above or below these targets. A change in the weekly figures does not mean that every applicant will receive a decision within the same period.
Temporary residence estimates are updated each week. Permanent residence and citizenship estimates are generally updated each month.
IRCC last changed its temporary residence service standards in 2018 – 2019.
IRCC Continues To Handle A Large Number Of Applications
The immigration department reported that it handled 1,566,455 temporary residence applications during the first six months of 2026.
More than 401,000 temporary residence applications were still waiting for a final decision at the end of June.
The latest update shows that waits can change from one week to another. Some applicants saw shorter waits, while others faced longer estimates.
For temporary residence applicants, the latest figures provide an updated view of the expected wait for different application types and countries. However, the figures remain estimates, and the actual time for an individual application can vary.
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