Highlights: IRCC to offer faster Canada work visa and tourist visa approval to Indians
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced plans to accelerate processing times for Canadian work and tourist visas for Indian applicants.
- Temporary residence processing times as of March 11, 2026, have been reduced to 7 weeks from 8 weeks previously.
- Canada visitor visa processing time for Indians has reduced from 71 days to 57 days, marking the biggest drop among all countries.
- The processing period for Canada super visas has also improved significantly this month.
- Canada permanent residence (PR) applications through Express Entry and PNP have remained stable at 7 months for all the regional streams.
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Canada Updates its Immigration Timelines for Indians in 2026
IRCC recently released updated timelines for various temporary residence permits and the Canadian tourist visa for Indians. The estimated timelines for Canada work and visitor visas from India observed a reducing trend in the current year. The processing time for all temporary residence, permanent residence, and citizenship applications has either remained stable or dropped significantly in March.
Wait times in Quebec have also been revised for Parent and Grandparent (PGP) sponsorship, both within and outside Quebec, while remaining constant for other categories.
The table below highlights the average estimated processing time for temporary residence permits, PR, and citizenship in Canada:
|
Application Category |
Application Type / Stream |
Previous Processing Time |
Current Processing Time |
|
Temporary Residence Applications |
8 weeks (Feb 26) |
7 weeks (Mar 11) |
|
|
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
||
|
71 days |
57 days |
||
|
210 days |
208 days |
||
|
Overall PR Application |
7 months |
7 months |
|
|
PR Applications – Express Entry Programs |
7 months (Feb 17) |
7 months (Mar 9) |
|
|
|
7 months (Feb 17) |
7 months (Mar 9) |
|
|
|
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
PR Applications – Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) |
Through Express Entry (Enhanced) |
7 months (Feb 17) |
7 months (Mar 9) |
|
|
Non-Express Entry (Base) |
13 months (Feb 17) |
13 months (Mar 9) |
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Revised Processing time for Quebec Immigration Programs for Indians
In recent IRCC updates, Quebec Immigration Programs observed a faster, steadier timeline in 2026.
Processing time for Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) and Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) remained stable at 11 and 33 months, while family sponsorship programs observed a reducing trend.
The wait time for Parent and Grandparent (PGP) sponsorship, both within and outside Quebec, decreased by one month. The processing times for dependent child sponsorship in India have also dropped by 8 months.
The table below shows the average processing times for Quebec immigration streams, including dependent sponsorship programs from India.
|
Application Category |
Application Type (Quebec) |
Previous Processing Time (Feb 17) |
Current Processing Time (Mar 9) |
|
Family Sponsorship |
Spouse/Partner inside Canada (Quebec) |
35 months |
36 months |
|
|
Spouse/Partner outside Canada (Quebec) |
35 months |
35 months |
|
|
Parents & Grandparents (Quebec) |
47 months |
46 months |
|
Dependent Child Sponsorship |
Outside Canada – India |
16 months |
8 months |
|
Citizenship Applications |
Citizenship Grant |
14 months |
13 months |
|
|
Citizenship Certificate (Proof of Citizenship) |
11 months |
10 months |
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