Canada PR processing time refers to the duration taken by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process your PR application. In this blog, we will list the processing time taken by various immigration pathways such as Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and Family Sponsorship.
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Canada offers various immigration programs leading to Permanent Residency (PR), each with different processing times. Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), including AAIP, BC PNP, MPNP, OINP, and SINP, have distinct timelines. PR processing also varies for Family Sponsorship, the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
Each program has specific requirements, but all offer a pathway to obtaining Canadian PR, let’s start now.
Canada PR Processing Time for Express Entry
The processing time for Canada PR through the Express Entry system is tabulated below.
| Express Entry pathway | Processing Time for Canada |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | 5 months |
| Canadian Experience Class | 5 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | N/A |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 6 months |
Express Entry is a management system that manages applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program, as well as a section of the Provincial Nominee Program. While applying for Express Entry, an applicant has to:
- Create an Express Entry profile
- Get a CRS score out of 1,200 points
- Get Invitation To Apply for Express Entry draws
- Apply for Canada PR within 60 days of getting your ITA
Canada PR processing time for each of the Express Entry pathways begins after your complete application reaches IRCC, and you receive an Acknowledgment of Receipt.
This time also includes the time you take to submit your biometrics. But this is the estimated time taken to process your application. However, it can fluctuate according to the application received. Hence, all the above processing times are for the online submissions.
Canada PR processing time for PNP programs
Canada PR processing time for PNP program is 6 to 12 months. However, this does not include the time it takes to get the provincial nomination certificate.
If you are applying for a Canada PR visa through Provincial Nominee Program, you will undergo the following steps:
- Create an Expression of Interest (EOI) if applicable
- Apply and get a provincial nomination
- Create an account with IRCC
- Apply for Canada PR through PNP
- Pay the fee
- Get COPR upon approval
Provincial Nominee Program enables Canadian provinces and territories to nominate skilled foreign immigrants to settle and beneficially contribute to the provincial economies. There are 10 provinces and 3 territories in Canada and each have its pathways to nominate skilled workers, students and entrepreneurs. As discussed above, the time for getting your provincial nomination is different from Canada PR processing time after getting your nomination certificate.
Processing time for getting Provincial Nomination
This section contains the processing time for getting the nomination certification by the various PNP pathways.
1. AAIP or Alberta Advantage Immigration Program
Alberta nominates eligible skilled workers, students, and entrepreneurs through its Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. Below is the processing time for getting the nomination certification through AAIP.
| Alberta Advantage Immigration Program | |
| AAIP pathways | Processing time to issue nomination certificate |
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 4 months |
| Alberta Express Entry stream – Accelerated tech pathway | 1 month |
| Dedicated healthcare pathway | 1 month |
| Priority sectors in construction, agriculture, hospitality, and tourism | 2 months |
| Alberta Express Entry – family connection and occupation in demand | 3 months |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1 month |
| Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | 4 months |
| Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | 4 months |
| Rural Entrepreneur Stream | 4 months |
| Farm Stream | 4 months |
2. BC PNP or British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
British Columbia nominates eligible applicants through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program or BC PNP. Once the applicant gets the nomination certificate, they can apply for a PR visa through the PNP pathway.
Canada PR processing time is different from the time it takes to get the nomination certificate. Below is the time it takes to get the nomination through BC PNP.
| British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) | |
| BC PNP pathways | Processing time to get PNP nomination |
| Skilled Worker Stream Health Authority Stream International Graduate Stream International Post Graduate Stream Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream | 3 months |
BC PNP Entrepreneur pathways | 6 weeks– after registration is received 4 months– after a complete application is confirmed 4 months– after a complete final report is confirmed |
3. Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program or MPNP
Processing time for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program or MPNP takes around 6-12 months to process your application and issue a provincial certificate. However, the time depends upon the kind of application you submit. Submitting a complete application, with all the paperwork significantly speeds up the process.
4. Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program or OINP
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program or OINP invites eligible applicants to Ontario. The average processing time to get nomination certification through OINP is tabulated below.
| OINP Pathways | Estimated Processing time |
|---|---|
| OINP Express Entry French-speaking Skilled Worker Human Capital Priorities Skilled Trades | 70-100 days or 2-3 months |
| OINP Masters Graduate PhD Graduate Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Employer Job Offer: International Student Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills | 90-120 days or 3-4 months |
5. Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program or SINP
If you have applied for a nomination certificate through one of the pathways under SINP, the processing time for each stream is below. Most of the applications in the Entrepreneur stream are processed within 12 weeks.
| SINP Pathways | Estimated Processing time |
|---|---|
| International Skilled Worker | |
| Employment Offer | 4 weeks |
| Occupation In-Demand | 17 weeks |
| Express Entry | 17 weeks |
| Tech Talent Pathway | 2 weeks |
| Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot | 5 weeks |
| Saskatchewan Experience | |
| Existing Work Permit | 2 weeks |
| Health Professional | 2 weeks |
| International Students | 2 weeks |
| Truck Drivers | 1 week |
| Hospitality Workers | – |
Canada PR processing time for Family Sponsorship
Processing time for the Family Sponsorship Program ranges from 9 months to 48 months. The estimated timeline includes the time you take to submit your biometrics.
| Spouse or legal partner living in Canada | Location in Canada | Canada PR processing time |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or legal partner living inside Canada | In Quebec Outside Quebec | 27 months 13 months |
| Spouse or legal partner living outside Canada | In Quebec Outside Quebec | 35 months 10 months |
| Parents or grandparents | In Quebec Outside Quebec | 48 months 24 months |
| Adopted Child living in India | – | 09 months |
Canada PR processing time for Quebec Skilled Workers
Quebec Selected Skilled Worker program is exclusively for skilled foreign workers who want to become permanent residents of Canada and settle in Quebec. Canada PR process for this pathway is 09 months. This includes the time taken to submit biometri
Moreover, the processing times are always subject to change and depend upon the application submitted.
Canada PR processing time for Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
Canada PR processing time for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) pathway is 08 months. This includes the time taken by the applicant to submit biometrics and fingerprints. Atlantic Immigration Program is a pathway for eligible skilled workers and graduates to apply for Canada PR, and settle in one of the four Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland and Labrador.
How to get Canada PR faster?
You can follow certain steps in order to significantly reduce visa processing time:
- Submit a complete application without any mistake: In many cases, IRCC has to ask for missing information or documentation that significantly increases the processing time.
- Respond Promptly: Stay constantly alert about any communications regarding any request for additional documents or information. Respond as soon as possible.
- Submit correct and sufficient documentation: Provide enough valid paperwork for all the information you submit in your PR application. This will allow the authorities to quickly verify your details and reduce the processing time.
- Contact CICC authorized representative: A legal immigration representative will take care of all your paperwork and will drastically reduce the processing time for Canada PR.
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