Permanent residence and citizenship applications are moving a little faster for many people, according to the latest update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released on July 7.
The latest figures show that waiting periods have become shorter by one to two months for several economic immigration programs and family sponsorship categories. This includes the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec Business Class (QBC), and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
Citizenship grant applications have also improved, reaching their shortest waiting period in four months.
However, not every category saw good news. Waiting periods increased by one month for Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (enhanced PNP) applications and for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec.
Below is a closer look at how the latest July 7 figures compare with the previous update released on June 8.
PR: Economic Immigration
Most economic immigration programs either showed shorter waiting periods or remained unchanged. The only exception was the enhanced Provincial Nominee Program, which became slightly slower.
Express Entry
The Canadian Experience Class recorded a one-month improvement. It has now returned to IRCC’s official service standard.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 7 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | N/A | N/A |
Note: IRCC does not publish figures for FSTP applications because there is not enough data.
IRCC service standard: Six months across all Express Entry programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- CEC: 61,500 (+600).
- FSWP: 55,800 (+3,800).
Provincial Nominee Program
Base PNP applications became faster again, while enhanced PNP applications saw a one-month increase in waiting periods.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Through Express Entry (enhanced) | 7 months | 6 months |
| Non-Express Entry (base) | 12 months | 13 months |
Service standards: Six months for enhanced PNP applications; 11 months for base PNP applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Enhanced applications: 12,100 (-1,900).
- Base applications: 103,800 (-6,400).
Quebec Immigration
Quebec Business Class applicants received a small improvement in the latest update, while the Skilled Worker Selection Program remained unchanged.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) | 11 months | 11 months |
| Quebec Business Class (QBC) | 75 months | 76 months |
Service standard: Six months for PSTQ applicants. No official service standard has been published for QBC applications.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- PSTQ: 22,200 (-2,600).
- QBC: 3,700 (unchanged).
Atlantic Immigration Program
The Atlantic Immigration Program remained unchanged this month. Even though IRCC completed around 600 applications, the overall waiting period stayed the same.
| Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| 26 months | 26 months |
Service standard: 11 months.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment: 12,300 (-600).
Other Economic Immigration Programs
The Start-up Visa Program and the Federal Self-Employed Persons Program continue to have waiting periods of more than 10 years.
The Start-up Visa inventory grew by nearly 900 applications during the month. This increase likely happened because June 30 was the deadline for 2025 commitment certificate holders to submit their applications.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Start-up visa (SUV) | 10+ years | 10+ years |
| Federal Self-Employed Persons Program | 10+ years | 10+ years |
Service standards are not available for the above programs.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Start-up visa: 47,500 (+900).
- Federal Self-Employed Persons Program: 8,000 (-100).
PR: Family Sponsorship
The latest update brought mixed results for family sponsorship applicants. Parents and Grandparents Program applications moved faster both inside and outside Quebec. At the same time, spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec became slower.
Outside Quebec
Spousal sponsorship applications continued to become slower by one month. On the other hand, Parents and Grandparents Program applications recorded their shortest waiting period in at least the last three months.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada | 27 months | 26 months |
| Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada | 17 months | 16 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) | 30 months | 32 months |
Service standard: Twelve months for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec. IRCC does not publish service standards for the other categories.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 56,900 (+1,700).
- Partner living outside Canada: 54,100 (+2,800).
- Parent and Grandparents: 40,400 (-3,100).
Within Quebec
There was very little change in Quebec family sponsorship categories. The biggest improvement was seen in the Parents and Grandparents Program, which became two months faster.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| 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 (PGP) | 65 months | 67 months |
IRCC does not publish service standards for applicants planning to settle in Quebec.
Applications in inventory awaiting assessment:
- Partner living in Canada: 13,700 (+1,600).
- Partner living outside Canada: 18,600 (unchanged).
- Parents and Grandparents: 10,500 (-500).
Citizenship
Citizenship applications remained mostly unchanged in the latest update. The only improvement was seen in citizenship grant applications, which became one month faster and reached their shortest waiting period since April 2026.
| Application Type | Current (July 7) | Previous (June 8) |
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 13 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 7 months | 7 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 17 months | 17 months |
Service standard (grants): 12 months.
IRCC’s citizenship grant inventory now stands at 326,200 applications, a small decrease of 200 applications from the previous update.
Difference Between Waiting Periods And Service Standards
Waiting periods and service standards are related, but they are not the same.
Waiting periods give applicants an estimate of how long an application may take to receive a decision. These are only estimates and cannot guarantee when an application will be completed. The actual timeline depends on several factors, including whether the application is complete, how complex the case is, and whether IRCC needs more documents or information.
IRCC uses two methods to estimate these timelines.
- Historical estimates: These are based on how long it took to finalize 80% of similar applications in the past.
- Forward-looking estimates: These are based on the current number of applications in the system and IRCC’s expected ability to handle them.
Service standards are different. They are internal goals that show how quickly IRCC aims to complete applications under normal conditions. In most cases, the department aims to finalize around 80% of applications within the published service standard.
While waiting period estimates are updated regularly, service standards do not change very often.
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