Immigration · IRCC processing times · Extensions in Canada
Extending your stay in Canada: current processing times.
The processing times IRCC publishes for extensions in canada, what they mean, and a quick check against your date.
5 of 6 items have a published figure. Shortest: Visitor visa applied for inside Canada (12 days). Longest: Visitor record (extend your stay as a visitor) (341 days).
IRCC table updated October 21, 2026. Our copy fetched October 26, 2026.
When will it be ready?
Where you stand
Choose an application and the date you applied.
Extensions in Canada: current IRCC figures
If you are already in Canada, IRCC publishes a separate processing time for each kind of extension. They are measured the same backward-looking way as the visa figures: how long it took to finish 80% of recent applications.
| Application | Published processing time |
|---|---|
| Visitor record (extend your stay as a visitor) | 341 days |
| Study permit extension | 56 days |
| Work permit extension | 121 days |
| Visitor visa applied for inside Canada | 12 days |
| Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program work permit | 95 days |
| Federal Skilled Trades (Express Entry) | Not enough data |
IRCC does not list the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) as a separate line in the processing-times data this page uses; extension and work permit figures are the closest published guides. If you are on maintained status while an extension is pending, rules about your right to keep working or studying are set by IRCC, not by this page.
History since October 20, 2026
Choose an application above to see its recorded history.
IRCC publishes only the current figure and keeps no public history, so we record it ourselves. Our recording began October 20, 2026; a line appears once a value has changed, and a recorder feed is checked in your browser for a longer history when one exists.
What the number means
“We calculate them by checking how long it took us to process 80% of that type of application in the past… Your processing time starts the day we receive your complete application and ends when we make a decision on it.”Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Check processing times, “How we calculate historical (backwards-looking) processing times” and “When processing times start” (read October 26, 2026)
“There are a couple of reasons why your application may take longer than the processing time: your application may not be complete; your application is complex; we need to check more things on your application for security reasons; the cap for your program has been reached for the year… Calling us won’t help your application get processed faster.”IRCC, Check processing times, “Why your application may be taking longer than the processing time” (read October 26, 2026)
Worked example
Take Visitor record (extend your stay as a visitor), listed at 341 days. For an application made on October 26, 2026, adding that published figure to the application date gives about October 2, 2027. The shortest item with a figure of a day or more on this page, Visitor visa applied for inside Canada (12 days), points to about November 7, 2026. Mail and courier time are extra.
Common mix-ups
- Reading a published figure as a deadline. Most IRCC figures are the time in which 80% of recent applications were finished, so about one in five took longer; passing it is not a refusal.
- Counting from the day you clicked submit. IRCC starts the clock when it has your complete application, so a missing document or unpaid fee pushes the start date back.
- Using these figures for the wrong status. Applications made from inside Canada are measured separately from visa and permit applications made abroad.
- Forgetting mail time. Passport and card figures are for processing only and exclude delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an extension in Canada take?
IRCC currently lists 341 days for visitor records, 56 days for study permit extensions and 121 days for work permit extensions. Exact figures change; see the table above.
What does IRCC mean by processing time?
For these applications IRCC uses a backward-looking measure: how long it took to finish 80% of that type of application. About one in five took longer.
Why does my application say something different?
Your case can be slower if the application is incomplete, complex, needs extra security checks, or the program cap has been reached. IRCC says calling will not speed it up.
How current is this?
IRCC’s table was updated October 21, 2026; we fetched it October 26, 2026.
Is this the official tool?
No. TNAADO Tools is independent. Use IRCC’s Check processing times for the official figure.
Sources and update path
IRCC table updated October 21, 2026; fetched October 26, 2026. History recorded since October 20, 2026.
To refresh: node scripts/update-ircc-processing-times.mjs then node scripts/gen-ircc-pages.mjs.
Estimates, not decisions
These are IRCC’s published estimates, re-presented by TNAADO Tools, which is not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada. No tool here can tell you when your own application will be decided, and nothing on this page is immigration advice. Always check your own case on IRCC’s official tool and your application status in your IRCC account.