Canada Updates PR and Citizenship Processing Times in May 2026

Canada has released updated processing times for permanent residence and citizenship applications on May 12, 2026. While some immigration programs became slower, others showed slight improvements.

Most importantly, Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications saw longer wait times, whereas programs like the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) became slightly faster.

Let’s understand these updates in simple words.

Express Entry Processing Times Increase

Firstly, Canada increased the processing time for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) from 6 months to 7 months. However, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) remained unchanged at 7 months.

Current Express Entry Processing Times

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 7 months
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 7 months

In addition, the number of applications waiting for review has increased significantly:

• CEC applications in queue: 60,900
• FSWP applications in queue: 52,000

This means more people are currently waiting for decisions, which may lead to further delays in the coming months.

Provincial Nominee Program Wait Times Also Rise

Similarly, processing times for base PNP applications increased from 13 months to 14 months. On the other hand, enhanced PNP applications linked with Express Entry stayed at 7 months.

Current PNP Processing Times

• Enhanced PNP (Express Entry linked): 7 months
• Base PNP (Non-Express Entry): 14 months

Meanwhile, the number of pending applications also grew:

• Enhanced PNP applications: 14,000
• Base PNP applications: 110,200

As a result, applicants under non-Express Entry PNP streams may experience longer waiting periods.

Quebec Immigration Processing Remains Stable

Unlike other programs, Quebec immigration processing times remained unchanged.

Current Quebec Processing Times

• Quebec Skilled Worker Program (PSTQ): 11 months
• Quebec Business Class: 78 months

At the same time, the number of pending Quebec applications slightly decreased, which is a positive sign for future applicants.

Atlantic Immigration Program Gets Faster

In contrast, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) improved noticeably. Processing time dropped from 40 months to 38 months.

Although this is still a long wait, the reduction suggests that IRCC is slowly clearing older applications.

Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Programs Still Facing Huge Delays

Unfortunately, some economic immigration programs continue to face extremely long wait times.

Current Wait Times

• Start-Up Visa: More than 10 years
• Federal Self-Employed Program: More than 10 years

Therefore, applicants under these categories should be prepared for very lengthy processing periods.

Family Sponsorship Processing Updates

Canada also updated processing times for family sponsorship applications.

Spousal Sponsorship Takes Longer

Processing times for spouse or common-law partner sponsorship increased slightly for applicants settling outside Quebec.

Current Processing Times

Spouse Living Inside Canada

• Outside Quebec: 25 months
• Quebec: 31 months

Spouse Living Outside Canada

• Outside Quebec: 16 months
• Quebec: 32 months

As queues continue to grow, families may need to wait longer for reunification.

Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Becomes Slightly Faster

On a positive note, the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) saw small improvements.

Current PGP Processing Times

• Outside Quebec: 33 months
• Quebec: 66 months

This is slightly better compared to the previous update.

Citizenship Processing Time Increases Again

After showing improvement earlier, citizenship grant applications are once again taking longer.

Current Citizenship Processing Times

• Citizenship Grant: 13 months
• Renunciation of Citizenship: 7 months
• Search of Citizenship Records: 17 months

Additionally, more than 321,000 citizenship applications are currently waiting for assessment.

Understanding Processing Times vs Service Standards

Many people confuse processing times with service standards, but they are different.

What Are Processing Times?

Processing times are estimates of how long applicants may wait for a decision. These timelines are based on:

• Current application inventory
• Number of applications being processed
• Overall workload at IRCC

What Are Service Standards?

Service standards are IRCC’s target timelines. In simple words, IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within a certain period.

However, complex applications may still take longer than the standard timeframe.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the latest update shows that Canada’s immigration system is still dealing with large application backlogs. While programs like AIP and PGP improved slightly, Express Entry, PNP, and family sponsorship categories became slower.

Therefore, applicants should stay updated, submit complete applications, and prepare for possible delays in 2026.

Get in touch with SPS Global

Receive advice on any of your questions regarding immigration. Get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Global. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).