The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently updated its processing times for various immigration applications as of January 2024. These updates are crucial for applicants awaiting decisions on their permanent residency, visitor visas, work permits, and other immigration-related applications. Here's a brief overview of the key changes and current processing times:
Permanent Resident Cards:
- New PR Cards: Processing time is now 16 days, a significant improvement from the previous month.
- PR Card Renewals: Currently taking 59 days, showing a slight increase in processing time.
Citizenship Applications:
- Renunciation of Citizenship: The processing time remains steady at 14 months.
- Citizenship Record Searches: Also consistent at 14 months, indicating ongoing delays in obtaining citizenship records.
Family Reunification:
- Spousal Sponsorship (Outside Canada): Processing time is 12 months, unchanged from early December 2022.
- Spousal Sponsorship (Inside Canada): Remains at 10 months for non-Quebec residents and 26 months for Quebec residents.
- Parent or Grandparent Sponsorship: Awaiting times are 24 months for non-Quebec and a staggering 48 months for Quebec applicants.
Economic Class Permanent Residence:
- Canadian Experience Class: Processing time is stable at 5 months, making it one of the faster economic categories.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: Now at 6 months, slightly up from the previous month.
- Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry and Non-Express Entry): PNP Express Entry remains at 8 months, while non-Express Entry PNP is at 14 months.
- Quebec Skilled Worker Program: Processing time has improved to 10 months, indicating increased efficiency.
- Startup Visa Program: No change at 37 months, highlighting prolonged wait times for applicants.
Temporary Residence Applications:
- Visitor Visas: Processing times vary by country, with some improvements in online and paper application processing.
- Work Permits (Inside Canada): Processing time for initial applications or extensions is now 166 days online and 60 days by paper, showing a decrease from the previous month.
These updates reflect IRCC's ongoing efforts to manage its application backlogs and improve processing times across various immigration categories. Applicants are encouraged to check the IRCC website for the most current information, as processing times can change based on application volume and other factors.
For more detailed insights and assistance with your immigration process, visit our blog at Immigration2Canada.com, where we provide up-to-date information and guidance on navigating Canada's immigration system.
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