Canada’s immigration department has released updated application timelines, showing longer waits for several permanent residence and citizenship categories.
The latest figures, released on September 3, show that three categories saw their estimated wait increase by one month. These were the Federal Skilled Worker Program under Express Entry, spousal sponsorship from outside Canada and outside Quebec, and searches of citizenship records.
Some applicants, however, saw shorter waits. The Parents and Grandparents Program and spousal sponsorship applications for spouses or common-law partners living inside Canada and outside Quebec both saw their estimated timelines decrease by one month.
The updated figures give applicants a clearer idea of how long different immigration and citizenship applications may take to reach a final decision.
Latest Permanent Residence And Citizenship Updates
The largest increases in the latest update were recorded in three categories.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program under Express Entry increased from six months to seven months. The estimated wait for spousal sponsorship applications involving a spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada and outside Quebec increased from 17 months to 18 months.
The wait for a search of citizenship records also increased by one month, moving from 17 months to 18 months.
Meanwhile, the Parents and Grandparents Program outside Quebec improved from 29 months to 28 months. Spousal sponsorship applications involving a spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada and outside Quebec decreased from 27 months to 26 months.
Permanent Residence: Economic Immigration
Express Entry
The Federal Skilled Worker Program saw its estimated timeline increase by one month. This change came as the number of applications waiting for assessment increased by 1,400.
The Canadian Experience Class remained at six months. The department processed around 800 applications in this category since the previous update on August 10, but the estimated timeline did not change.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 7 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | N/A | N/A |
Note: IRCC does not publish an estimated timeline for Federal Skilled Trades Program applications because there is not enough data.
Service standard: Six months across all Express Entry programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- CEC: 58,900 (-800).
- FSWP: 53,800 (+1,400).
Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program showed no change in its estimated timelines.
During the period covered by the update, the department processed around 900 base applications. At the same time, about 1,000 enhanced applications were added to the inventory.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Through Express Entry (enhanced) | 7 months | 7 months |
| Non-Express Entry (base) | 13 months | 13 months |
Service standard: Six months for enhanced PNP applications; 11 months for base PNP applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Enhanced applications: 12,800 (+1,000).
- Base applications: 101,500 (-900).
Many applicants under base PNP streams may now be able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt for their permanent residence application.
This option is available under a temporary measure introduced on June 9, 2026.
Quebec Immigration
The estimated timelines for the Quebec immigration programs included in the update remained unchanged.
The department processed about 800 Skilled Worker Selection Program applications during the period. The number of Quebec Business Class applications in the inventory remained unchanged.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) | 11 months | 11 months |
| Quebec Business Class (QBC) | 75 months | 75 months |
Service standard: Six months for PSTQ applicants; unpublished for QBC applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- PSTQ: 20,400 (-800).
- QBC: 3,700 (unchanged).
Atlantic Immigration Program
The Atlantic Immigration Program remained at an estimated timeline of 26 months.
This was the fourth consecutive month in which the figure stayed unchanged. The department’s inventory for this program fell by around 300 applications.
| Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| 26 months | 26 months |
Service standard: 11 months.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment: 11,800 (-300).
Other Economic Programs
Some economic immigration programs continue to have particularly long waits.
The Start-Up Visa Program and the Federal Self-Employed Persons Program both continue to show estimated timelines of more than 10 years.
Thousands of applications remain in the department’s inventory for these programs.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Start-Up Visa (SUV) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
| Federal Self-Employed Persons Program (FSEPP) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
Service standards are not available for these programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- SUV: 47,500 (-100).
- FSEPP: 8,000 (unchanged).
Permanent Residence: Family Sponsorship
Sponsorship Outside Quebec
Family sponsorship categories outside Quebec recorded mixed changes in the latest update.
The estimated timeline for applications involving a spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada decreased by one month. The Parents and Grandparents Program also saw its estimated wait decrease by one month.
In contrast, applications involving a spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada saw their estimated timeline increase by one month.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 26 months | 27 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 18 months | 17 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) | 28 months | 29 months |
Service standard: 12 months for sponsorship of a spouse/common-law partner outside Quebec. IRCC does not publish standards for the other application types.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 54,700 (-2,100).
- Partner living outside Canada: 62,600 (+4,600).
- Parents and Grandparents: 37,500 (-1,500).
Sponsorship Within Quebec
Most family sponsorship categories for applicants planning to settle in Quebec remained unchanged.
The Parents and Grandparents Program was the only category to see a shorter estimated timeline. Its figure decreased by one month, while the number of applications waiting for assessment fell by around 100.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 32 months | 32 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 33 months | 33 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | 63 months | 64 months |
IRCC does not provide published service standards for applicants intending to settle within Quebec.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 14,200 (+200).
- Partner living outside Canada: 19,200 (+200).
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,300 (-100).
Citizenship Application Timelines
Only one of the citizenship categories reviewed in the latest update saw a change.
The estimated wait for a search of citizenship records increased from 17 months to 18 months.
The timeline for citizenship grants remained at 12 months, while applications for renunciation of citizenship remained at four months.
| Application Type | Current (September 3) | Previous (August 10) |
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 12 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 4 months | 4 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 18 months | 17 months |
Service standard (grants): 12 months.
As of September 3, the citizenship grant inventory stood at 327,100 applications. This was a decrease of 1,100 applications compared with August 10.
Applicants looking for information about proof of citizenship certificates should review the figures for that category separately, as those applications are reported independently.
Understanding Application Timelines And Service Standards
Application timelines and service standards provide different information to applicants.
An estimated application timeline indicates how long an application may take to be completed. It is not a guarantee. Individual applications may be completed sooner or may take longer depending on the circumstances of the case.
These estimates may be based on the time previously required to complete similar applications or on the department’s current inventory and expected ability to handle applications.
Several factors can affect the time required to complete an application. These include whether the application is complete, the complexity of the case, and whether the department needs additional information or supporting documents.
Service standards are different from estimated application timelines. They are targets set by the department for certain application categories under normal conditions.
For most programs with a service standard, the department aims to complete about 80% of applications within the stated target.
Application timelines are updated more frequently than service standards. Permanent residence and citizenship figures are generally updated each month, while temporary residence figures are updated weekly.
Service standards can remain unchanged for several years. The government last revised the service standards for Express Entry programs in 2019.
The latest update shows that applicants across different permanent residence and citizenship categories continue to face different wait periods. While some categories have seen improvements, others have experienced longer waits or continue to deal with large application inventories.
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