Last Updated On 27 August 2026, 3:21 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest processing time data on August 26, 2026, and the headline number is impossible to ignore.
Citizenship certificate processing has now reached 25 months, climbing by another six months in a single reporting cycle, while the queue added 22,300 applicants to reach approximately 121,800 people.
That figure stood at just three months in March 2026, meaning this category has added roughly 22 months of processing time in barely five months.
On the other side of the ledger, the Federal Skilled Worker Program improved to six months for the first time this year, and the CEC queue shrank by 1,800 applicants even as the processing time held steady at six months.
The most alarming reversal in the weekly data is visitor record extensions, which spiked to 416 days, 3 days less from the last week’s update and 268 days above January 28.
IRCC calculates these timelines using actual applicant outcomes, reporting the window within which 80% of applicants received a decision.
Monthly categories like citizenship, permanent residency, and family sponsorship were refreshed on August 10.
Weekly categories like visitor visas, study permits, work permits, and PR cards were last updated on August 26.
The August data arrives amid a busy month for Canadian immigration, including the opening of the Ontario Workforce Priority stream on August 4 and a new Express Entry draw cluster that began the same week.
Applicants who submit incomplete documentation remain one of the leading refusal reasons across all the immigration categories, making thorough preparation essential during these processing windows.
Below is a full breakdown of every processing time in the August 2026 release.
Table of Contents
Citizenship Processing Times (Updated monthly)
| Application Type | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (August 10, 2026) | Change Since Last Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant | ~328,200 (+2,000) | 12 months | No change |
| Citizenship certificate* | ~121,800 (+22,300) | 25 months | +6 months |
| Resumption of citizenship | Not available | Not enough data | No change |
| Renunciation of citizenship | Not available | 4 months | -3 months |
| Search of citizenship records | Not available | 17 months | No change |
IRCC is currently sending acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) notices for citizenship applications that were submitted on or around March 19, 2026.
* Applicants residing outside Canada or the United States may face longer processing windows.
Permanent Resident Card Processing Times (Updated weekly)
| Application Type | Processing Time (August 26, 2026) | Change since last week | Change Since January 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New PR card | 40 days | No Change | -22 days |
| PR card renewal | 40 days | -1 day | +11 days |
Family Sponsorship Processing Times (Updated monthly)
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (August 10, 2026) | Change Since Last Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse/common-law outside Canada (non-Quebec) | ~58,000 (+3,900) | 17 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law outside Canada (Quebec) | ~19,000 (+400) | 33 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law inside Canada (non-Quebec) | ~56,800 (-100) | 27 months | No change |
| Spouse/common-law inside Canada (Quebec) | ~14,000 (+300) | 32 months | No change |
| Parents/grandparents (non-Quebec) | ~39,000 (-1,400) | 29 months | -1 month |
| Parents/grandparents (Quebec) | ~10,400 (-100) | 64 months | -1 month |
Humanitarian and Compassionate And Protected Persons (Updated monthly)
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (August 10, 2026) | Change Since Last Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&C outside Quebec | ~55,800 (+1,300) | More than 10 years | No change |
| H&C in Quebec | ~20,100 (+400) | More than 10 years | No change |
| Protected persons inside Canada (outside Quebec) | ~92,200 (-6,100) | About 13 months | -1 month |
| Protected persons inside Canada (in Quebec) | ~41,900 (+1,000) | More than 120 months | No change |
| Dependents of protected persons (outside Quebec) | ~60,700 (-100) | About 40 months | +2 months |
| Dependents of protected persons (in Quebec) | ~22,400 (+300) | More than 10 years | No change |
Canadian Passport Processing Times
| Application Type | Current Processing Time | Change |
|---|---|---|
| New passport (in person, Canada) | 10 business days | No change |
| New passport (mail, Canada) | 20 business days | No change |
| Urgent pickup | Next business day | No change |
| Express pickup | 2–9 business days | No change |
| Passport mailed from outside Canada | 20 business days | No change |
Permanent Residency Processing Times (Updated monthly)
| Category | People Waiting (Change) | Processing Time (August 10, 2026) | Change Since Last Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | ~59,700 (-1,800) | 6 months | No change |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | ~52,400 (-3,400) | 6 months | -1 month |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | Not available | Not enough data | No change |
| PNP (Express Entry) | ~11,800 (-300) | 7 months | No change |
| Non-Express Entry PNP | ~102,400 (-1,400) | 13 months | +1 month |
| Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) | ~21,200 (-1,000) | 11 months | No change |
| Quebec Business Class | ~3,700 (No change) | 75 months | No change |
| Federal Self-Employed | ~8,000 (-100) | More than 10 years | No change |
| Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) | ~12,100 (-200) | 26 months | No change |
| Start Up Visa | ~47,600 (+100) | More than 10 years | No change |
Temporary Visa Processing Times (Updated weekly)
IRCC updates temporary residence processing times on a weekly basis, and the figures below reflect data as of August 26, 2026.
We will update this section as soon as IRCC publishes new weekly data, so check back regularly for the latest numbers.
Visitor Visas From Outside Canada
| Country | Processing Time (August 26, 2026) | Change since last week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 32 days | +1 day | -50 days |
| United States | 21 days | No change | -4 days |
| Nigeria | 78 days | +2 days | +38 days |
| Pakistan | 77 days | +2 days | +21 days |
| Philippines | 20 days | -1 day | +4 days |
Visitor Visa From Inside Canada
Visitor visa applications filed from inside Canada now take 12 days, similar to last week.
Visitor Record Extension
Visitor record extensions continue to remain high at 416 days, but 3 days fewer compared to last week.
These high wait times signal renewed processing pressure for visitors who have applied to extend their stay in Canada.
Super Visa Processing Times
| Country | Processing Time (August 26, 2026) | Change since last week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 61 days | +5 days | -189 days |
| United States | 123 days | -15 days | -64 days |
| Nigeria | 55 days | +2 days | +17 days |
| Pakistan | 176 days | -14 days | +38 days |
| Philippines | 104 days | -3 days | -12 days |
The super visa timeline for India remains 189 days below its January 2026 level, continuing the strongest sustained improvement in any temporary category this year.
Study Permit Processing Times
| Country | Processing Time (August 26, 2026) | Change since last week | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 5 weeks | No change | No change |
| United States | 5 weeks | No change | No change |
| Nigeria | 9 weeks | No change | +4 weeks |
| Pakistan | 7 weeks | No change | +3 weeks |
| Philippines | 4 weeks | No change | -1 week |
Study Permit From Inside Canada: Inland study permit applications take 7 weeks; no change since the last week.
Study Permit Extension: Study permit extensions take 64 days, same when compared to the last update and 40 days less than January 28, 2026.
Work Permit Processing Times
| Country | Processing Time (August 26, 2026) | Change Since July 23, 2026 | Change Since January 28, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 9 weeks | No change | No change |
| United States | 2 weeks | No change | -1 week |
| Nigeria | 9 weeks | No change | +2 weeks |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks | +1 week | -12 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | -1 week | -1 week |
Work Permit From Inside Canada (Initial and Extension): Inland work permits, including extensions, have dropped to 115 days, 2 days lower than the last week, 89 days fewer than the May 20 update, 135 days below March 31, and 119 days below January 28, 2026.
The sustained decline in this category continues to be one of the most significant positive trends in the 2026 processing data.
Other Work Permit Categories
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program is now at 99 days, 5 days higher than the last week and 83 days higher than the May 20 update.
International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits sit at 6 weeks, 1 week less since the last week, but 4 weeks above March 31.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) approvals continue to arrive within roughly 5 minutes for most travellers, with up to 72 hours required for applicants flagged for additional screening.
The August 2026 IRCC processing times paint a system making steady gains in economic immigration while citizenship certificate processing spirals further out of control.
Inland work permits at 115 days, FSWP improving to six months, CEC queues shrinking, and parents and grandparents sponsorship declining for the fourth straight month are all encouraging signs that IRCC is clearing backlogs in targeted categories.
However, the 416-day visitor record extension spike and the citizenship certificate queue approaching 122,000 applicants suggest that capacity constraints are deepening in several high-volume streams, a pattern that first emerged in the May data and has accelerated since.
August also brings a new CRA benefit payment cycle and the launch of Ontario’s redesigned immigration pathway, adding both financial and policy dimensions to the landscape for newcomers and permanent residents.
Applicants should file early, submit complete documentation, and check their IRCC portals regularly to stay ahead of any requests that could extend their wait.
For the latest developments on Canadian immigration news, evolving policy landscapes, and IRCC processing times, save this page and return regularly as new weekly and monthly data drops throughout 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why has citizenship certificate processing jumped to 25 months when it was only 3 months in March 2026?
Citizenship certificate processing climbed by six months in a single reporting cycle to reach 25 months overall, up from just three months in March 2026, an increase of roughly 22 months of processing time in barely five months. Over the same period the queue grew by 22,300 applicants to reach approximately 122,000 people, one of the sharpest single-category swings in the entire August release.
What’s happening with visitor record extensions?
Visitor record extensions now stand at 416 days, down 3 days from the previous week’s update. Even with this small weekly dip, the article flags this category as one to watch closely, since it remains one of the longest processing timelines of any temporary residence category in the entire release.
Is it actually getting faster to immigrate through Express Entry right now?
Yes, on the economic side, the data points that way. The Federal Skilled Worker Program improved to six months for the first time this year (down one month from last month), with its queue shrinking by 3,400 applicants to about 52,400. The Canadian Experience Class held steady at six months while its queue also shrank by 1,800 applicants to roughly 59,700, both signs that the IRCC is finalizing more applications than it’s receiving in these streams.
How does IRCC actually calculate these processing times?
IRCC calculates its published timelines using actual applicant outcomes, reporting the window within which 80% of applicants received a decision, so the figures reflect real recent processing history rather than official service standards or estimates.
Will IRCC update temporary visa processing times again this week?
IRCC updates temporary residence processing times on a weekly basis, typically releasing new data on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. The figures in this article reflect the August 26 data release, and we will update the temporary visa sections as soon as IRCC publishes the next weekly refresh. Weekly updates cover visitor visas, study permits, work permits, super visas, electronic travel authorizations, PR cards, and all related sub categories like inland applications and extensions. Monthly categories like citizenship, family sponsorship, humanitarian and compassionate claims, and permanent residency through economic programs are updated once per month and will next be refreshed in September 2026. Save this page and check back regularly to see the latest weekly numbers as they become available.
Fact-checked: All processing times, queue figures, and comparison data in this article are sourced directly from the official IRCC processing time tool updated on August 10, 2026 (monthly categories) and August 26, 2026 (weekly categories).
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Consult a regulated immigration professional for guidance on your specific case.
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