CANADA VISA WAITING TIME
Applications for permanent residency and family-class sponsorship, as well as applications for student and worker visas for temporary residence, are still being processed by Canada from India.
As of September 26, 2023, the average wait periods for Indian applicants in each of the five permit/visa processing streams are listed below. Please take note that these processing timeframes might differ based on the particulars of each application. For the most recent information, kindly visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) website.
CANADA VISA WAITING TIME
Visas and work permits
For the duration of their work permit, foreign nationals are permitted to live and work in Canada.
For immigration reasons, keep in mind that a permit differs from a visa in that it enables an individual to lawfully live, work, and/or study in Canada. Foreign nationals can enter Canada through its borders with a visa. Permits often occupy the majority of processing time. If a foreign individual receives a permit and wants to travel outside of Canada and then return, they must then bring their passport to an IRCC office so that their visa may be stamped.
Work permit processing can vary based on whether one is applying within Canada, or from outside the country. The processing times are:
| Immigration Stream | Processing Time |
| Work permit (applying from India) | 9 weeks |
| Work permit (applying inside of Canada (initial and extension)) | 128 days online; 47 days on paper |
Visas and permits for study
Foreign nationals are permitted to live and study in Canada with a study permit. Certain study licenses further authorize students to work either part-time or full-time while they are enrolled in classes.
Study permits differ from work permits in the same way that they are different from visas. If an applicant is granted a study permit and then wants to travel outside of Canada and then return, they must then provide their passport to be stamped with a visa.
CANADA VISA WAITING TIME
The application process for a study permit differs depending on whether it is submitted from outside or within Canada. Furthermore, depending on whether the application is for an original study permit or an extension, processing periods may differ. Finally, applying through the Student Direct Stream—a specialized study permit stream for which Indian students are eligible—can speed up the processing timelines for study permits.
Below are CANADA VISA WAITING TIME for study permits:
| Immigration Stream | Processing Time |
| Study permit (applying from India) | 8 weeks |
| Study permit (applying inside of Canada) | 5 weeks |
| Study permit extension | 75 days online; 91 days on paper |
| Student Direct Stream | 20 days (assuming all criteria are met) |
Visas for visitors
A visiting visa is required for Indian nationals who want to go to Canada. Although visitors are allowed to obtain study and/or work permits if they so want, these visas do not come with accompanying permits because visitor visas do not entitle holders to work or study in Canada. Furthermore, travelers have the option to request for a visitor record, which is a visa extension. This document permits travelers to stay in Canada for an extended period of time; it is not a visa.
Whether an application is made within or outside of Canada affects how quickly a visitor visa is processed.
The current tourist visa processing timeframes are listed below:
| Immigration Stream | Processing Time |
| Visitor visa (applying from India) | 31 days |
| Visitor visa (from inside of Canada) | 16 days online; 47 days on paper |
| Visitor extension (visitor record) | 55 days online; 102 days on paper |
IMMIGRATION UNDER FAMILY SPONSORSHIP
Indian spouses, dependant children, or other family members may be sponsored to immigrate to Canada by Canadian permanent residents or nationals of Indian descent. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), Dependent Child Sponsorships, Spousal Sponsorships, and Super-Visa are the main means to do this for extended family members.
The length of time it takes to process spousal sponsorships depends on two factors: first, whether the spouse being sponsored is currently in Canada; and second, whether the couple will be living in or outside of Quebec (because of legal requirements, immigration applications to Quebec must be processed by both the federal and provincial governments).
Below are current processing times for family class sponsorship applications:
| Immigration Stream | Processing Time |
| Spouse or common-law partner living in Canada | 10 months outside of Quebec; 25 months in Quebec |
| Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner living in Canada | 13 months outside of Quebec; 24 months in Quebec |
| Super Visa (Parents or Grandparents living in India) | 53 days |
| Dependent Child (living in India) | 10 months |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | 21 months outside of Quebec; 46 months in Quebec |
| Adopted child or other relative (living in India) | 22 months |
CANADA VISA WAITING TIME