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Yet, processing time for permanent residence for spouses and common law partners from within Canada (but outside Quebec) has skyrocketed to 29 months from 10 months; sponsorships of parents and grandparents to 36 months from 24; skilled immigrants nominated by provinces to 20 months from 11; and candidates destined for Atlantic provinces, up to 11 months from seven.

Those seeking to extend their stay in Canada have also seen longer wait times: for visitor extension, to 161 days from 88 days; for study permits, to 236 days from 55 days; and for work permits, to 238 days from 101 days.

“If you submit an application, it could show 120 days, but all of a sudden it shoots up to 226 days,” said Tamara Mosher-Kuczer of the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association. “The processing time is changing constantly, so it means absolutely nothing.” 

The Ottawa lawyer said these surging processing times are at least in part the results of the federal government’s reduced immigration levels announced last October, and they reflect its changing priorities.

In response to a public outcry over surging population growth that has contributed to the housing affordability crisis and strained government services, Ottawa has reduced its annual intake of permanent residents by 21 per cent to 395,000 this year, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

It’s also slashing the temporary resident population in Canada, including international students and foreign workers, by 445,901 this year and 445,662 in 2026, while increasing it modestly by 17,439 in 2027. The goal is to reduce its proportion in the country’s overall population from 7.3 per cent to under five per cent in three years. 

“They have these targets and they don’t want to exceed these targets,” said Mosher-Kuczer. “They’re slowing the flow, so that the next cohort goes into the next year.”

Yet, processing times for others have remained steady. Economic immigration programs managed via the so-called express entry system are still processed under the six-month mandate, while it takes sponsored spouses applying outside Canada (and not destined for Quebec) only 10 months for a decision.

Processing times for study and work permit applications, as well as visitor visas, submitted outside Canada fluctuate slightly over the year and vary by visa post.

The Immigration Department said it processes most applications on a first-come, first-served basis, but processing times are influenced by a range of factors, including immigration targets, the complexity of individual cases, and how quickly applicants respond to requests for information.

“Once a target for a given stream is reached, applications are retained in the inventory for processing to begin when or if new spaces become available,” it explained. “An application may not be processed in the year it is submitted if the admission target for that stream has already been met.”

Officials prioritize resources and staffing levels based on operational needs and immigration programs targets, it added.

Anna Kuranicheva, a staff lawyer at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre, believes immigration officials are trying to prioritize applications submitted from outside Canada over those from applicants already in the country.

“It’s not like somebody’s trying to come to Canada, maybe for family reunification or studying or anything like that. They are already here,” she explained. “If they apply for an extension of status, then they get the benefit of maintained status. From the government’s perspective, if they have maintained status, they don’t really need a decision fast.”

Kuranicheva said applicants facing long delays submit inquiries for updates via webforms or seek help from MPs, often to no avail. The only other recourse is to ask the Federal Court to order Immigration to make a decision if the processing time becomes excessively long.

Meanwhile, the court has already seen record immigration filings reach 24,000 cases last year, about four times the yearly average before the pandemic, meaning longer wait times and delayed hearings.

“It is very concerning,” said Kuranicheva. “There are no remedies that can be attained in a reasonable amount of time.”

Mosher-Kuczer said recent immigration policy changes have also contributed to further delays for in-Canada applications.

Since December, officials have stopped the practice of “flagpoling,” which used to allow temporary residents to get a new permit or change of status by leaving and immediately re-entering Canada at a land port of entry, a process handled by the border agency. Now, they must apply online to the Immigration Department, which can take weeks if not longer.

Officials have also started strictly refusing in-Canada work permit applications and extensions if an applicant cannot provide a document within 60 days from Service Canada to prove they are not taking a Canadian’s job. However, that process currently takes anywhere between two and seven months, depending on workers’ streams.

“They are refusing work permits and people are reapplying,” said Mosher-Kuczer. “These processing times impact people. It has a very real human cost. I don’t think the department is showing the proper recognition of the impact on people’s lives.” 

With immigration targets to remain lower and the department’s plan to cut 3,300 jobs, experts said applicants for permanent and temporary residents have little choice but to hope for the best.

“I don’t see the processing time decreasing in the nearest future,” Kuranicheva admitted.

The department wouldn’t say how many of the 3,300 positions have been eliminated to date but said the staffing reductions were not a factor in increased processing times.