Canada Updates Temporary Residence Application Timelines
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released updated estimates for temporary residence applications as of September 22, 2026.
The latest update shows changes in some work permit and Super Visa estimates, while study permit estimates remained unchanged.
The main updates include:
- Work permit estimates increased by one week for applicants in the United States.
- Work permit estimates decreased by one week for applicants in the Philippines.
- Super Visa estimates for applicants in the United States decreased by 50 days.
- Study permit estimates remained unchanged for all featured countries.
Visitor visa estimates also changed slightly, with the largest increase reaching six days.
This article compares the latest estimates with those published on September 16, 2026. The next update is expected around September 30, 2026.
Work Permit
Work permit estimates increased for applicants applying from Canada and the United States. This was the first increase for applications submitted from Canada since at least early June.
Applicants in the Philippines saw a decrease of one week, while estimates for India, Pakistan and Nigeria remained unchanged.
| Applying From: | Current (September 22) | Previous (September 16) |
| Canada | 16 weeks | 109 days |
| India | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 4 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Philippines | 6 weeks | 7 weeks |
Note: In the latest update, the department began reporting work permit estimates for applications submitted from Canada in weeks rather than days.
Service standard:
- Applications submitted from Canada, including initial applications and extensions: 120 days.
- Applications submitted from outside Canada: 60 days.
Study Permit
Study permit estimates remained the same for all featured countries compared with the previous update.
| Applying From: | Current (September 22) | Previous (September 16) |
| Canada | 8 weeks | 8 weeks |
| India | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
| Pakistan | 7 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks | 10 weeks |
| United States | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
Service standard:
- Applications submitted from Canada, including initial applications and extensions: 120 days.
- Applications submitted from outside Canada: 60 days.
Visitor Visa
Visitor visa estimates increased for applicants from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and the United States.
The increases ranged from one to six days. Estimates remained unchanged for applicants applying from Canada and the Philippines.
| Applying From: | Current (September 22) | Previous (September 16) |
| Canada | 11 days | 11 days |
| India | 32 days | 29 days |
| Pakistan | 78 days | 75 days |
| Nigeria | 93 days | 87 days |
| United States | 17 days | 16 days |
| Philippines | 21 days | 21 days |
Service standard:
- Applications submitted from Canada: Not available.
- Applications submitted from outside Canada: 14 days.
Super Visa
Super Visa estimates decreased for applicants from Pakistan, Nigeria and the United States.
The United States recorded the largest change, with its estimate falling by 50 days. Estimates remained unchanged for applicants from India and the Philippines.
| Applying From: | Current (September 22) | Previous (September 16) |
| India | 70 days | 70 days |
| Pakistan | 92 days | 95 days |
| Nigeria | 44 days | 46 days |
| United States | 66 days | 116 days |
| Philippines | 90 days | 90 days |
Service standard: 112 days.
Super Visa applications can only be submitted from outside Canada.
Understanding Application Estimates And Service Standards
Application estimates and service standards provide different information.
Application estimates show how long a newly submitted application may take to receive a final decision. They are not guaranteed deadlines or maximum waiting periods.
The department uses two methods to calculate these estimates:
- Historical estimates: Based on the time required to finalize 80% of applications completed in the past.
- Forward-looking estimates: Based on the number of applications currently in the department’s inventory and the resources available to process them.
Service standards are departmental targets. They show how quickly the department aims to finalize 80% of applications under normal conditions.
Actual timelines can vary depending on an application’s complexity, the number of applications in the inventory, available resources, requests for additional documents and further checks.
Temporary residence estimates are updated weekly, while the government generally updates permanent residence and citizenship estimates monthly.
From January to July 2026, the department finalized 1,832,065 temporary residence applications. As of July 31, more than 394,000 applications were still awaiting a final decision.
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