Residency
Canada — Residency: Processing Times
As of mid-2026, IRCC processing times are: Express Entry permanent residence 6-8 months; new work permits applied for outside Canada 4-6 weeks; work permit extensions filed inside Canada around 7 months; study permits processed inside Canada about 7 weeks, with extensions around 70 days; Student Direct Stream (SDS)-eligible applicants (e.g. from India, China, the Philippines) around 20 days. IRCC publishes processing times weekly for temporary residence applications and monthly for permanent residence and citizenship applications, and times vary by application completeness and country of application. IRCC's official online checker is the only authoritative real-time source.
VerifiedGovernment / official sourceImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Key facts
- Express Entry permanent residence: 6-8 months.
- New work permit (applied from outside Canada): 4-6 weeks; in-Canada extensions: ~7 months.
- Study permit (inside Canada): ~7 weeks; extensions: ~70 days; SDS-eligible applicants: ~20 days.
- IRCC updates processing times weekly (temporary residence) and monthly (permanent residence/citizenship).
Timelines
- Express Entry (permanent residence): 6-8 months
- Work permit (outside Canada): 4-6 weeks
- Work permit extension (inside Canada): ~7 months
- Study permit (inside Canada): ~7 weeks
- Student Direct Stream (SDS): ~20 days
Common mistakes
- Relying on third-party processing-time estimates instead of IRCC's official real-time checker.
- Applying for a work permit extension too close to expiry given the ~7-month in-Canada processing time.