SECD – Processing Times and Service Delivery – February 9, 2026
Key Messages
- Canada’s immigration system plays a key role promoting well-managed, sustainable growth and long-term economic prosperity.
- As part of Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the government has introduced new arrival targets for permanent residents, international students, and temporary foreign workers. These adjustments are designed to support sustainable immigration and service delivery across all streams.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) remains committed to processing 80% of applications within service standards. However, when application volumes exceed admissions targets some applications may need to wait until admissions space becomes available, which can increase overall processing times.
- To help clients better understand the estimated time it will take for the Department to process their application, IRCC provides estimated processing times through our online processing times tool. Clients are able to check the number of applicants in the queue ahead of them and the estimated time it will take the Department to process their application so that they can plan accordingly.
- IRCC also continues to improve real-time status information available to clients on their specific files through online accounts and status-checkers.
If pressed:
- Processing times for applications are influenced by a range of factors, including: the immigration targets, the number of applications ahead of them in the processing queue, the complexity of individual cases, and how quickly applicants respond to requests for information. Despite these variables, the majority of applications are processed well within established service standards.
- Application intake caps in key lines of business (e.g., Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Quebec Skilled Worker, new Work and Study Permits) help us to maintain predictable processing times and achieve service standards.
- Forward-looking processing times and in queue information are now available on the processing times tool for several permanent resident lines of business. This tool provides dynamic estimates based on current inventory levels and target admissions, offering a more accurate view of when an application may be finalized. These projections are directly linked to admissions targets for upcoming years. Applications are generally processed in the order they are received.
Key Facts and Figures (as of November 30, 2025)
| Line of Business | Service Standard | Processing Times (As of November 30, 2025) |
What Most New Clients Can ExpectTable Footnote *** (As of November 30, 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent ResidentTable Footnote * | (in months) | ||
| Canadian Experience Class | 6 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Federal Skilled Workers | 6 | 5.8 | 6 |
| Quebec Skilled Workers | 11 | 7.8 | 10 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (Express Entry) | 6 | 9.6 | 6 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (Non-Express Entry) | 11 | 15.7 | 16 |
| Spouses, Partners, and Children: Overseas (Rest of Canada) | 12 | 13.2 | 14 |
| Temporary ResidentTable Footnote ** | (in days) | ||
| Work Permit | 60 | 57 | 55-75 |
| Study Permit | 60 | 44 | 30-50 |
| Temporary Resident Visa | 14 | 65 | 90-110 |
| Line of Business | Admissions/Arrivals | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Nov2025 (Actuals) | 2025 Immigration Plan Target | % of 2025 Target Achieved | |
| All Permanent Residents | 367,600 | 395,000 | 93% |
| Total Study Permit and Work Permit | 353,700Table Footnote * | 673,650 | 53% |
| Study Permits | 105,800Table Footnote ** | 305,900 | 35% |
| Work PermitsTable Footnote *** | 248,000 | 367,750 | 67% |
Asylum Claims
| Organization | Jan‒Nov 2024 | Jan‒Nov 2025 | % Change, 2025 vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRCC | 104,340 | 75,025 | -28% |
| CBSA | 55,520 | 31,975 | -42% |
| Overall—Total | 159,860 | 107,005 | -33% |
Humanitarian and Compassionate/Refugees
- The Department processes applications for permanent residency in accordance with the annual Immigration Levels Plan. If the number of applications in the inventory is greater than the corresponding allotted admissions space, inventory accumulates and processing times increase. For some lines of business, such as Humanitarian and Compassionate immigration categories, Privately Sponsored Refugees and Protected Persons Landed in Canada and their dependents abroad, the number of applications in the inventory are greater than available admissions space, leading to increasing processing times.
November 2025 Service Standard Adherence
- At the end of November 2025, service standards were met in the Federal Skilled Workers, Canadian Experience Class, and Quebec Skilled Workers permanent residence categories; new PR cards; as well as for new work and study permits. Additionally, citizenship grants continue to be processed within the established service standard.
Call and Email Response Rates from January to November 2025
- From January 1 to November 30, 2025, the Department responded to 4.4M client enquiries by phone and e-mail, including enquiries received by the Ministerial Centre for Members of Parliament and Senators and the dedicated crisis line for Palestine.
- IRCC received 6% fewer enquiries from January to November 2025 than in the same time last year (which represents a decrease of over 415K enquiries). The Client Support Centre has a call answer rate of 43% from January to November 2025, an improvement of 2 percentage points over the same period last year.
- As of November 30, 2025, there were 19k emails remaining in inventory, a 74% reduction since January 2025. This fiscal year we have met our three-day service standard on 75% of our email inventory. We are on track to meeting our 80% target by the end of the fiscal year.
- The October 2025 Auditor General’s review of the Canada Revenue Agency contact centre highlighted significant challenges in providing timely and accurate responses to Canadians. IRCC recognizes the importance of these key challenges, and our Client Support Centre has delivered consistently stronger results.
- Over the past year, we have implemented targeted operational enhancements to increase efficiency and service quality. These efforts have led to measurable progress toward service standards., including raising our answer rate from 39% in the previous fiscal year to 48% year-to-date, while monthly improvements in our answer rates continue to take place.
- Additionally, we have introduced a robust Accountability Framework and strengthened Quality Assessment processes to ensure agents provide complete and accurate information to clients.
Modernization Efforts to Improve Processing Times
- IRCC continues to invest in new tools that align with our commitment to provide greater transparency with clients. Providing this transparency from the outset strengthens operational efficiency, and gives clients better access to the information they need to help them make informed decisions.
- Increased transparency will be important in providing clarity and minimizing uncertainty for clients, as the impacts of lower immigration levels may lead to an increase in wait times across some lines of business.
- We continue to digitize application processes and harness automation technologies to improve processing times while protecting and prioritizing the health, safety, and security of Canadians.
- Our advanced analytics help identify routine applications for streamlined processing. This allows us to better manage our work, so clients receive decisions sooner.
- Advanced analytic models are not used to make or recommend negative decisions. All refusals are made by human officers after they review the application themselves.
- IRCC is undertaking a Service Standards Review to ensure service standards are meaningful and relevant for our programs, in line with the Department’s ability to forecast demand and address intake. This is part of IRCC’s ongoing efforts to set clear expectations for clients and increase transparency on performance.