Processing Times Increase for Express Entry and PNP Applicants

According to the latest update, processing times have increased for some major immigration programs, including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). At the same time, some programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), have seen shorter wait times.

These updated timelines are compared with IRCC’s previous update from April 7.

Express Entry Processing Times

Express Entry processing times have increased for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), while the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) timeline remains the same.

IRCC does not publish processing time estimates for the Federal Skilled Trades Program due to insufficient data.

The service standard for Express Entry applications is six months.

Applications Waiting for Assessment

This shows that more Express Entry applications are currently waiting to be processed, especially under the CEC and FSWP streams.

Provincial Nominee Program Processing Times

Processing times for enhanced PNP applications remain the same, while base PNP applications have increased by one month.

The service standard for enhanced PNP applications is six months, while base PNP applications have an 11-month service standard.

Applications Waiting for Assessment

Base PNP applications continue to have a much higher inventory compared to enhanced PNP applications.

Quebec Immigration Processing Times

Processing times for Quebec immigration programs remain unchanged.

The service standard for the Skilled Worker Selection Program is 11 months.

Applications Waiting for Assessment

Atlantic Immigration Program Processing Times

The Atlantic Immigration Program has seen a decrease in processing time.

Although the wait time is still long, it has reduced by two months since the last update.

The service standard for AIP applications is 11 months.

There are currently 12,900 applications waiting for assessment, which is a decrease of 300 applications.

Other Economic Immigration Programs

Processing times for the Start-Up Visa Program and the Federal Self-Employed Persons Program remain unchanged.

IRCC does not publish service standards for these two programs.

Applications Waiting for Assessment

Family Sponsorship Processing Times

Processing times have increased for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec. However, processing times for the Parents and Grandparents Program have decreased.

The service standard for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec is 12 months. IRCC does not publish service standards for all other family sponsorship categories.

Applications Waiting for Assessment

Citizenship Processing Times

Citizenship grant applications have increased by one month, while citizenship renunciation applications have decreased by three months.

There are currently 321,100 citizenship grant applications waiting for assessment, which is an increase of 7,900 since April 7.

The service standard for citizenship grant applications is 12 months.

What Is the Difference Between Processing Times and Service Standards?

Processing times and service standards are often confused, but they are not the same.

Processing time means the estimated time an applicant may wait for a decision after submitting an application. For online applications, the processing time starts from the date of submission. For paper applications, it starts when IRCC receives the application at the mail intake office.

IRCC shows processing times in two ways:

Historical processing times are based on how long it took IRCC to finalize 80% of applications in the past.

Forward-looking processing times are estimates based on current application inventory and IRCC’s expected processing capacity.

On the other hand, service standards are internal targets set by IRCC. They show the time within which IRCC aims to process 80% of applications. However, complex applications may take longer than the service standard.