Canada study and work permits: Why Pakistanis will now wait longer
Pakistani citizens planning to study, work or travel in Canada may now have to wait longer before receiving their visas. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its estimated processing times for several temporary residence applications submitted from Pakistan.
The latest update shows that estimated waiting times have increased for study permits, work permits, visitor visas and Super Visas. Although the changes are not very large, they indicate that Canada’s immigration system is still under pressure because of a high number of applications.
Study and work permit processing gets slower
According to the updated estimates, work permit applications from Pakistan now take about 11 weeks to process instead of 10 weeks. Study permit applications are now expected to take around seven weeks, compared with the previous estimate of six weeks.
Visitor visa applicants will also experience a slightly longer wait. The estimated processing time has increased from 40 days to 43 days.
The waiting period for the Super Visa has also increased. Applications for the visa, which allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit Canada for extended periods, now take an estimated 196 days instead of 194 days.
Why are processing times increasing?
IRCC has explained that these timelines are only estimates and should not be considered guaranteed deadlines. The actual time can change depending on whether an application is complete, the need for biometrics, background and security checks, document verification and the overall number of applications being processed.
Canada’s official service standards remain much shorter than the current estimated timelines. Under normal conditions, the department aims to process most work and study permit applications submitted outside Canada within 60 days, visitor visas within 14 days and Super Visa applications within 112 days.
IRCC said it finalized more than 1.2 million temporary residence applications during the first five months of 2026. However, more than 404,000 applications were still waiting to be processed as of May 31, showing that the backlog remains significant.
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The next update to Canada’s temporary residence processing times is expected around August 5. People planning to study, work or travel to Canada are advised to submit their applications well before their intended departure dates to reduce the risk of delays.
The latest increase in processing times shows that demand for Canadian visas remains very high. Applicants from Pakistan should prepare complete documents and apply early, as waiting times may continue to change while Canada works to reduce its backlog.
