Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its latest processing time update as of January 14th, 2026, showing improvements in several permanent residence and economic immigration programs, even as some categories remain slow or unchanged.
The updated timelines show how long it took to process 80% of applications, offering a clearer picture of real-world wait times for applicants.
Citizenship processing times remain steady overall. Citizenship grants continue to take an estimated 13 months, with IRCC currently issuing acknowledgments of receipt for applications submitted around October 6th, 2025. The number of people waiting for citizenship grants increased slightly to about 305,400.
Processing times for citizenship certificates increased by one month to 10 months, which may affect applicants who need proof of citizenship for passports or travel. Other citizenship-related applications, including renunciation and record searches, showed no change.
Permanent resident card processing slowed modestly. New PR cards now take about 59 days, while renewals are estimated at 35 days. Both timelines increased slightly compared to late December.
Family Sponsorship and Protected Persons
Family sponsorship processing times continue to vary by location and category. Spousal sponsorships outside Canada remain at 14 months outside Quebec and 35 months in Quebec. In-Canada spousal sponsorship outside Quebec increased to 21 months, while Quebec cases remained at 36 months.
Parent and grandparent sponsorship showed improvement, dropping to 37 months outside Quebec and 48 months in Quebec. Quebec-based applications continue to take longer due to additional provincial approval requirements.
Humanitarian and compassionate applications remain among the longest in the system, with processing times listed as more than 10 years both inside and outside Quebec. For protected persons outside Quebec, processing times improved significantly to about 17 months, while Quebec-based cases remain over nine years.
Economic Immigration Shows Gains
Several economic immigration programs recorded positive movement. The Canadian Experience Class improved to six months, down one month from December. Non-Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program applications also improved, dropping to 13 months.
Federal Skilled Worker Program and Express Entry PNP processing times increased slightly to seven months. The Atlantic Immigration Program improved to 33 months, though it remains lengthy. Quebec Skilled Worker processing held steady at 11 months.
Start-Up Visa and Federal Self-Employed programs continue to show processing times of more than 10 years, reflecting ongoing backlogs.
Temporary Visas and Passports Remain Predictable
Study permit processing for major source countries stayed within three to six weeks.
Work permits processed outside Canada range from six to 13 weeks, while in-Canada work permits increased to 220 days. Passport services remain one of the most predictable areas, with no changes to standard or urgent processing timelines.
IRCC notes that processing times can change due to application volumes, staffing levels, security screening, and file completeness. While the January 2026 update shows improvements in several key programs, applicants are advised to plan carefully, submit complete applications, and monitor updates regularly.
What This Means for 2026 Applicants
The 2026 update shows that processing times are improving in some economic and permanent residence programs, while others remain slow or have lengthened. Compared with December 2025, faster timelines were reported for the Canadian Experience Class, non-Express Entry provincial nominees, and some family and protected person categories.
At the same time, delays increased for citizenship certificates, new permanent resident cards, and certain temporary resident applications.