The short answer
Every week we hear the same question: "IRCC's website says 76 days, and I applied four months ago. What is wrong with my file?" Usually nothing is wrong. The posted time is not a deadline that IRCC has missed. IRCC says so on the tool itself: the times are "not a maximum or a guarantee", and your application may take longer.
That does not mean you should wait without checking anything. A few steps are worth taking, in order. Others feel useful and are not.
What the figure measures
IRCC publishes two kinds of processing time, and the tool tells you under each result which one you are looking at.
Forward-looking estimate
How long IRCC expects to take on an application received today, or on one submitted in the month you applied. It is based on how many applications are in the inventory, how many staff process that type and, for some application types, how many new applications IRCC expects.
Historical time
How long IRCC took to process 80% of applications of that type in the recent past: the last 6 months for permanent residence, the last 8 to 16 weeks for temporary residence.
Two details matter. A historical figure describes 80% of files, which means one file in five took longer, by definition. And the forward-looking estimates move: IRCC updates them weekly or monthly, and says the time you have left to wait will generally go down but can also go up.
The clock starts on the day IRCC receives your complete application: the day you submit online, or the day a paper application reaches the mailroom. It stops when a decision is made. The figure includes the time it takes to give biometrics. For applicants in Iran, who travel to another country for biometrics, any delay in that trip is part of the wait.
If you have already applied, answer "Yes" when the tool asks, and enter your month. For many application types the result is then an estimate for people who applied when you did, which is more useful than the headline figure for a new applicant.
Why a file runs past the posted time
IRCC lists four general reasons: the application is not complete, it is complex, more security checks are needed, or the cap for the program has been reached for the year. It then gives examples of what makes a file complex or "non-routine".
- Temporary residence (visitor visa, study permit, work permit): IRCC is verifying your information and documents; it needs more documents, such as child custody papers; your copies were unclear; a medical condition needs more tests; there is a criminal, security or other admissibility question; or IRCC has to consult another office in Canada or abroad.
- Permanent residence: your contact information is out of date; requested documents arrived late or not at all; a dependant turned 18, married or was added after you applied; a medical exam expired (every person's exam must be valid at the same time); someone was called for an interview; or background checks are still in progress.
- Citizenship: extra documents were requested, a test, interview or hearing was missed, or there is an admissibility issue.
Several of these are in your hands. Others, such as background checks, are not, and no one outside IRCC can shorten them.
What to do, in order
- Check the figure for your own monthOpen the processing times tool, choose your application type and country, and say that you have already applied. Compare your date with that result, not with a number you saw months ago.
- Check your status where IRCC actually posts itSign in to the account you applied through. For many online applications you can also create an Application status tracker account with your unique client identifier (UCI) and application number; IRCC says its timeline may show more detail than the main account. Paper applications use the Client application status tool. Our status tools page links to each one.
- Look for a request you missedRead every message in your account and check the spam folder of the email address on your application. IRCC lists requests that were answered late, or not at all, among the causes of delay, and a file does not move while a request is waiting for you.
- Keep your file currentIf your address, email, marital status or family has changed, tell IRCC through the channel for your application type. Outdated contact information is on IRCC's own list of causes of delay.
- Ask once, through the web formIf the file is past the normal processing time and nothing is outstanding, use the IRCC web form and choose "Ask about your application (if it's over the normal processing time)". You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
What the web form and the call centre can and cannot do
IRCC is plain about this. Through the web form, and by phone at the Client Support Centre (1-888-242-2100, from inside Canada only, agents available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time), agents can answer general questions about your application and check its status. They do not have more details than what is available online. They cannot speed up processing unless you are already eligible for urgent processing, and they cannot make a decision on your file.
IRCC adds that if you have not heard anything recently, the application is still being processed and you do not need to do anything else; sending another web form will not speed things up, and calling will not either. One clear enquiry with your UCI, application number and dates is enough.
When you need more than "in process"
A status line rarely says why a file is waiting. The officer's notes do. You can request them from IRCC under the access to information and privacy laws; our guide to GCMS notes explains who can ask and how to read the result. The notes often show which stage is still open, for example eligibility, medical or background checks, and whether a request went out that you never received.
The Federal Court, as a last step
Canadian law does give a remedy for delay. Under paragraph 18.1(3)(a) of the Federal Courts Act, the Federal Court may order a federal body to do something it "has unreasonably delayed in doing". The Act speaks of unreasonable delay, not of the posted processing time, and whether a delay is unreasonable is for the Court to decide on the facts of the file. This is a court proceeding with costs and risks, and it is a conversation to have with a lawyer after the steps above, not instead of them.
Frequently asked questions
Should I submit a new application to get a faster answer?
IRCC's guidance is that while a file is in process you do not need to do anything else. A new application means a new fee and starts its own processing. Get advice on your situation before considering it.
Can a representative or anyone else speed up my file?
No one outside IRCC decides how fast a file moves, and IRCC's own agents say they cannot speed up processing. A representative can check that nothing is missing, answer requests properly and make a well-supported enquiry. Be careful with anyone who promises more than that.