Canada updates IRCC processing times — October 2025
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its latest processing time data for citizenship, permanent residency, and visa applications, effective October 1, 2025. The figures reflect fresh delays in some streams and slight improvements in others.
Citizenship grants now take 13 months on average, while citizenship certificates require 7 months, each two months longer than the previous update. For permanent residents, new PR cards take 56 days and renewals 32 days.
Spousal sponsorships remain lengthy at 15–41 months, and parent or grandparent applications range from 26 to 44 months depending on province.
Within the economic class, processing for the Canadian Experience Class increased to six months, while the Federal Skilled Worker Program dropped to five. Non-Express Entry PNP files continue to take around 19 months.
For international students, study permits average four weeks from outside Canada and six weeks inside. Work permits take about eight weeks.
Visa applicants from India face the longest delays — 75 days for visitor visas and 153 days for super visas. Acknowledgement of Receipt letters are currently being issued for files submitted around July 21, 2025.
The update comes as Canada faces growing backlogs and an influx of new applications ahead of its 2026 immigration targets.
