Canada
Canada visa processing times
How long does each Canada visa take? Below are the typical decision windows for all 8 routes we track, each sourced directly from IRCC. Click any route to see the full breakdown, including what drives the timeline and whether a priority service is available.
Quick facts: The fastest route is the Canadian Study Permit at 3 weeks – 4 months. The slowest is the Start-Up Visa (Canada) at 3.3 years – 4.3 years.
| Route | Typical wait | Reality check | Sponsor needed? | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Study Permit# Study permit for international students at Designated Learning Institutions, governed by provincial study attestation caps. | 3 weeks – 4 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 112 days | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)# Open work permit for graduates of eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions. | 2 months – 6 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 6 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC)# Federal permanent-residence stream for applicants with qualifying Canadian work experience. | 5 months – 7 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 7 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)# Federal points-based permanent residence for skilled workers without prior Canadian experience. | 5 months – 8 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 8 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST)# Permanent residence for qualified tradespeople with a Canadian job offer or provincial certification. | 5 months – 8 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 8 months | No | 2026-07-01 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)# Province-led permanent residence streams giving a 600 CRS boost when aligned with Express Entry. | 11 months – 18 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 18 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| Spousal / common-law sponsorship (Canada)# Permanent residence sponsorship of spouses, common-law partners, or conjugal partners by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. | 15 months – 1.7 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 1.7 years | No | 2026-06-01 |
| Start-Up Visa (Canada)# Permanent residence for entrepreneurs with endorsement from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator. | 3.3 years – 4.3 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 4.3 years | No | 2026-06-01 |
Source authority: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Processing times are indicative and change without notice — always confirm before applying.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Canada processing times dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/canada. Last verified 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest Canada visa to get?+
Among the 8 routes we track, the Canadian Study Permit has the shortest published decision window at 3 weeks – 4 months. Processing times are indicative and depend on case complexity, so always confirm the current figure on IRCC.
Which Canada visa takes the longest to process?+
Of the routes we track, the Start-Up Visa (Canada) carries the longest published window at 3.3 years – 4.3 years. Permanent-residence and family routes typically sit at the slower end, while short-term and points-tested routes tend to be quicker.
Are these Canada processing times official?+
Yes. Every window on this page is the figure published by IRCC, shown with the date it was last checked. The figures are indicative rather than guarantees, and the linked source is authoritative on the day you apply.