QueueCheckofficial waits, shared datesCanada work permit processing time
Visa topicVaries by where you apply
Canada work permit: IRCC publishes processing times separately for applications made inside Canada and outside Canada, and outside-Canada times vary widely by country; check the official tool for your situation
Last checked August 13, 2026.
Unchanged at every check since July 21, 2026.
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Current wait at a glance
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Official wait
Varies by where you apply
Published as official guidance rather than one number; the official summary on this page has the full picture.
Updated Aug 13
The official figure is the only timing on this page so far. Reader comparisons appear here once people share their dates below.
Official updates over time
Canada work permit: IRCC publishes processing times separately for applications made inside Canada and outside Canada, and outside-Canada times vary widely by country; check the official tool for your situation
Updated Aug 13, 2026, 4:33 PM
Guidance
Canada work permit: IRCC publishes processing times separately for applications made inside Canada and outside Canada, and outside-Canada times vary widely by country; check the official tool for your situation
Updated Jul 21, 2026, 7:16 AM
Guidance
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Reading the Canada work permit figure
Employer-specific and open permits diverge early
A Canadian work permit may be employer-specific or open, and the two follow different paths. Employer-specific permits usually depend on a labour market assessment or an exemption established beforehand, so the employer's steps precede the applicant's and are invisible in any figure describing the permit itself.
Figures given by country and permit type
Published figures are given by country of application and by permit type, and they describe processing after a complete application is received. Work permits issued at a port of entry, where eligibility allows it, are not described by these figures at all.
Biometrics, medicals, and an employer step that expired
Biometrics that have not been given, or medicals that have not been completed where the intended work requires one, hold a file without any officer needing to act. Applications from countries with heavier volume take longer for reasons unrelated to the individual case. Where a permit depends on an employer step that has expired, the application waits on the employer rather than on the department.
News
Recent official updates connected to this queue.
Aug 28, 2026
Canada renews Palestine temporary-resident measures through 2027
Canada has new temporary-resident measures for eligible Palestinians and certain family members. The crucial distinction is whether you already used the earlier special measures: that determines whether an open-work-permit extension has normal fees or a first-use application can be fee-exempt.
Aug 28, 2026
Canada extends Ebola-related immigration suspensions through September 28
IRCC has extended Ebola-related immigration-document suspensions through September 28, 2026. The measure affects people who listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda as their last country of residence in an immigration application.