Temporary residence applicants in several categories are facing longer waits, according to updated figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on October 14.
The largest increases in estimated wait periods included:
- Work Permits: One-week increases for applicants in Canada, Pakistan and the Philippines.
- Study Permits: One-week increases for applicants from India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
- Super Visas: An increase of almost two weeks for applicants from the Philippines.
In contrast, study permit applicants applying from Canada and the United States saw their estimated waits fall by one week.
This update compares IRCC’s October 14 estimates with the figures published on October 7. The department is expected to release its next update around October 21.
Work Permits
Estimated waits for work permits increased by one week for applicants applying from Canada, Pakistan and the Philippines. The figures for India, Nigeria and the United States remained unchanged.
| Applying From | Current (Oct. 14) | Previous (Oct. 7) |
| Canada | 15 weeks | 14 weeks |
| India | 11 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Pakistan | 9 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
Service Standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days.
- Outside-Canada submissions: 60 days.
Study Permits
Study permit waits decreased for applicants applying from Canada and the United States. However, applicants from India, Pakistan and the Philippines saw increases of one week. Pakistan recorded its longest estimated wait in more than four months.
| Applying From | Current (Oct. 14) | Previous (Oct. 7) |
| Canada | 7 weeks | 8 weeks |
| India | 7 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 5 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 6 weeks | 5 weeks |
Service Standard:
- In-Canada submissions (initial and extensions): 120 days.
- Outside Canada submissions: 60 days.
Visitor Visas
Visitor visa estimates increased for applicants applying from Canada and Nigeria. They decreased for applicants from India, Pakistan and the Philippines, while the figure for the United States remained unchanged.
| Applying From | Current (Oct. 14) | Previous (Oct. 7) |
| Canada | 12 days | 11 days |
| India | 29 days | 30 days |
| Pakistan | 65 days | 71 days |
| Nigeria | 103 days | 100 days |
| United States | 18 days | 18 days |
| Philippines | 24 days | 25 days |
Service Standard:
- In-Canada submissions: N/A.
- Outside Canada submissions: 14 days.
Super Visas
Among the countries listed, Nigeria was the only one where super visa waits decreased. All other countries recorded increases, with the Philippines seeing the largest rise.
| Applying From | Current (Oct. 14) | Previous (Oct. 7) |
| India | 77 days | 74 days |
| Pakistan | 105 days | 101 days |
| Nigeria | 35 days | 37 days |
| United States | 68 days | 66 days |
| Philippines | 103 days | 90 days |
Service Standard: 112 days.
Super visa applications can only be submitted from outside Canada.
Extensions
The latest estimated waits for visitor records and study and work permit extensions submitted from within Canada are:
- Visitor Record: 357 days.
- Study Permit Extension: Eight weeks, with 27,700 applications in the queue.
- Work Permit Extension: 13 weeks, with 205,400 applications in the queue.
The work permit extension category includes new post-graduation work permits, bridging open work permits and requests to change work permit conditions.
Understanding Estimated Waits And Service Standards
Estimated wait periods and service standards are different measures used by IRCC to explain application timelines.
Estimated waits indicate how long a newly submitted application may take to receive a decision. They are general estimates, not guaranteed deadlines or maximum waiting periods.
IRCC calculates these estimates in two ways:
- Historical Estimates: Based on how long the department took to finalize 80% of applications in the past.
- Forward-Looking Estimates: Based on the number of applications awaiting decisions and the resources available to process them.
Service standards, by comparison, are operational targets. They describe how long IRCC aims to finalize 80% of applications in a particular category under normal circumstances.
Actual timelines may be shorter or longer because of application complexity, pending files, available resources, requests for additional documents or further verification.
IRCC generally updates temporary residence estimates weekly, while permanent residence and citizenship figures are usually revised monthly. Service standards change less often, with those for temporary residence last updated in 2018–2019.
From January to July 2026, IRCC completed 1,832,065 temporary residence applications. However, more than 394,000 applications remained outstanding as of July 31.
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