Canada’s visa backlog has been steadily growing, causing significant delays for Indian applicants seeking visitor approvals. As per the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Indians are facing an average wait time of 99 days for visitor visas, the longest among major source countries. The processing time for super visas, which allow extended visits for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and residents, is even more prolonged at around 169 days.
While IRCC has implemented a real-time processing system for 80% of visa applications, replacing fixed processing targets, Indian applicants continue to experience delays due to surging demand and rigorous background checks. Factors such as the location of application submission, workload at visa offices, and individual security screenings contribute to the extended processing timelines.
As of November 2025, the backlog for citizenship decisions in Canada has surpassed 290,000 applicants, with an average processing time of 13 months. Citizenship certificates can take up to nine months to process, while renunciation requests may now require up to 22 months. Permanent resident card renewals are processed within 29 days, whereas new PR cards take approximately two months.
Family sponsorships, particularly spousal sponsorships within Canada and applications filed outside the country, face lengthy processing times of 20 months and 14 months on average, respectively. Quebec presents even slower processing timelines, with parental and grandparental sponsorships taking up to 50 months in the province and around 42 months elsewhere.
Study permit processing for Indian students has shown improvement, now averaging four weeks compared to the previous five weeks. However, work permit processing from India remains consistent at around ten weeks, with extensions filed within Canada taking considerably longer at an average of 227 days.
Seasonal agricultural work permit processing has notably improved, now taking just 15 days, while the International Experience Canada (IEC) route maintains an average processing time of six weeks. Humanitarian and compassionate applications face significant delays, with processing times exceeding ten years on average. Refugee and protected person applications can take between 100 and 106 months, varying by province.
Despite IRCC’s efforts to enhance transparency through real-time reporting, Indian applicants encounter prolonged waits across multiple visa categories. The persisting backlog and extended processing times underscore the challenges faced by individuals seeking entry or residency in Canada, reflecting a broader trend of heightened demand for Canadian visas and citizenship.
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