Immigration Application Processing Times

If you’re interested in coming to Canada, whether for a short visit, long term work or study, or even permanently, a major part of planning one’s itinerary is the expectation of when you will be allowed to enter the country. Pre-authorization, whether with a visa or an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is the best way to guarantee entry, keeping in mind that regardless of one’s permit from IRCC, the border officers have the final say on any entry. This article will give you a better idea of what to expect from wait times, and how they may be lengthened or shortened by your own actions.
For travelers from visa-free countries, such as those of the Schengen Agreement, all one needs is an eTA, which is usually processed within minutes online. There are some situations, however, in which it may take somewhat longer, often because something in the application requires IRCC to take more time to review it, and in those cases they may ask you for additional documents or even schedule an interview with you. If speed is of the essence, then providing whatever is requested as soon as possible will allow them to make their final decision, hopefully an approval, that much sooner.
Travellers who require a visa to enter Canada will need more time for their applications to be processed, and these periods vary greatly, depending on many different factors. The starting point for your planning should be the official IRCC processing website at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html ; it gives estimates of times for all types of applications, whether temporary or permanent, and can also be specified to the country where the application is submitted.
Unfortunately, as the site itself proclaims, these are only estimates, and experience in many applications  a country with a 70 day processing times may be returned within only 8 days, or take far longer than the estimate as well. The various visa offices of IRCC around the world may be above or below their capacity, depending on how many applications they receive, which is in turn dependant on all sorts of local, regional, or even global events. Some applications will always take longer than others. Permanent residency of any kind, whether Express Entry, sponsorship, or others, will usually take longer than temporary applications, simply because the number of documents required is greater, and applicant histories are more detailed and scrutinized more closely.
Despite all of the above, there are certain things you can do to maximize your chances of a reasonable processing time with minimal delays. In order of importance, they are:

• Submitting a completed application. Although self-evident, it cannot be overstayed how important it is to include all of the documents required for processing when submitting. Both paper and electronic applications will go through a first stage ‘completeness check’ upon receipt by IRCC, during which the forms, supporting documents, photos, and any other requirement are checked to ensure they meet the minimum requirement. If anything is missing, no processing is done, the application is cancelled, and the applicant is given a refund of their processing fee. They must then create and resend a new application, thus delaying processing
• Responding to IRCC inquiries many applications will have mandatory steps that will pause processing while the applicant completes one task or another at IRCC’s request. The specifics are situational, but can include medical exams, biometrics, or renewal of a document that expires during the processing time, such as a police check or passport. IRCC will provide a letter to the applicant explaining what is needed and a deadline by which to provide it. Failing to submit on time risks an outright refusal of the application, so anything that requires an appointment should be made as soon as possible. IRCC gives some leeway when obtaining a document is difficult, but only up to a point. Some requests may be more complex, such as if some information in one document contradicts another, or IRCC’s own records show an inconsistency. This is especially critical if the officer doubts your credibility or believes there is a negative fact that you are supressing (what is called misrepresentation in their parlance, and with serious consequences). Consult an immigration lawyer as soon as possible upon receipt of such a letter; you may require such expert assistance in order to respond successfully to their allegations.
• Submitting one application at a time IRCC processes all applications one at a time. Submitting multiple applications, or with multiple methods (such as both electronic and paper) will result in delays as they are both sorted in the IRCC system. It is not recommended as a strategy to speed up processing times. Note however that different kinds of application can be submitted without issue, if a different office is processing them. For example, a permanent resident applicant can submit a work permit extension at the same time as their PR is processing (a bridging work permit) without any issue.
• Other strategies Being proactive in anticipating IRCC’s demands will do a great deal to make sure processing times go smoothly. Documents with an upcoming expiry date, for example, should be checked before being submitted. This will save time from IRCC asking for a new one and delaying you; especially if the document to be replaced takes some time to do so. If immediate travel is not so critical, doing this ahead of submission can be very helpful, to avoid any extra steps later on. One of the most sure-fire ways to ensure nothing delays your application is by discussing it with an experienced immigration lawyer who knows the many pitfalls that could slow even a relatively simple matter.