Service standards and performance: permits for Migratory Birds Regulations

We issue permits for various activities affecting migratory birds each year. Our service standards tell you how long it will normally take us to process and respond to your permit application. We base these timelines on our resources and our experience.

Current service standards summary

When you apply for a Migratory Bird Regulations (MBR) permit, we will give you a decision within the following timelinesFootnote 1:

A 90-day service standard applies to any permit applications which may affect a species protected by the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

If your application is incomplete, we will notify you and the time limit will be paused until we receive all missing information.

Background and detailed service standards

Service standards are necessary for good client service and important for managing performance because they:

Our service standards set the timeframe for the Minister to issue or refuse to issue a permit under the MBR. We regularly analyze performance data and review service standards for all permit types issued under the MBR (except migratory game bird hunting permits).

Service standards and performance targets were reviewed in 2022 and no changes were made. The next review of service standards is scheduled for 2025.

In November 2013 we published service standards and performance indicators for 2 types of permits:

In March 2014, we established service standards and performance indicators for all 4 remaining permits issued under the MBR:

In July 2022 we established service standards and performance indicators for the new charity permits.

We have developed tools to assist MBR permit applicants. For this information, please visit the permit application forms web page.

Performance targets

We present performance targets in percentages of decisions provided for permit applications in a reporting timeframe (i.e. from April 1 of a year until March 31 of the following year).

For damage or danger and airport permits:

For taxidermist, aviculture, eiderdown and scientific permits:

For charity permits:

Performance reporting

ECCC measures service performance for permit decisions under the MBR annually and posts performance information online no later than June 1st for the preceding reporting timeframe.

We met the performance targets for all permits decisions, under the MBR in 2023 to 2024, except for Eiderdown permits.

Statistics relating to processing times for issued permits are provided in the following tables:

Airport permits: 101 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

80% of permits issued within 14 days

99% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2014 to March 2015

85% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2015 to March 2016

90% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 14 days

95% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2017 to March 2018

90% of permits issued within 14 days

98% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2018 to March 2019

90% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2019 to March 2020

90% of decisions made within 14 days

98% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2020 to March 2021

90% of decisions within 14 days

89% of decisions made within 14 days Footnote 2

April 2021 to March 2022

90% of decisions within 14 days

100% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of decisions within 14 days

95% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of decisions within 14 days

97% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of decisions within 14 days

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Aviculture permits: 432 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

No targets set

No results reported

April 2014 to March 2015

80% of permits issued within 40 days

99% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2015 to March 2016

85% of permits issued within 40 days

99% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 35 days

99% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2017 to March 2018

90% of permits issued within 35 days

98% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2018 to March 2019

90% of permits issued within 35 days

98% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2019 to March 2020

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2020 to March 2021

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2021 to March 2022

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of decisions made within 35 days

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Charity permits: 4 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

100% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

100% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Damage or Danger permits: 1648 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

80% of permits issued within 40 days

95% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2014 to March 2015

85% of permits issued within 40 days

99% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2015 to March 2016

90% of permits issued within 40 days

97% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 35 days

97% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2017 to March 2018

90% of permits issued within 35 days

95% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2018 to March 2019

90% of permits issued within 35 days

99% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2019 to March 2020

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2020 to March 2021

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2021 to March 2022

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of decisions made within 35 days

98% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of decisions made within 35 days

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Eiderdown permits: 3 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

No targets set

No results reported

April 2014 to March 2015

80% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2015 to March 2016

85% of permits issued within 14 days

0% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 14 days

50% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2017 to March 2018

100% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2018 to March 2019

100% of permits issued within 14 days

100% of permits issued within 14 days

April 2019 to March 2020

100% of decisions made within 14 days

75% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2020 to March 2021

100% of decisions made within 14 days

100% of decisions made within 14 days

April 2021 to March 2022

100% of decisions made within 14 days

33% of permits issued within 14 days Footnote 3

April 2022 to March 2023

100% of decisions made within 14 days

67% of decisions made within 14 days Footnote 3

April 2023 to March 2024

100% of decisions made within 14 days

0% of decisions made within 14 daysFootnote 3

April 2024 to March 2025

100% of decisions made within 14 days

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Scientific permits: 556 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

No targets set

No results reported

April 2014 to March 2015

80% of permits issued within 40 days

82% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2015 to March 2016

85% of permits issued within 40 days

92% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 40 days

92% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2017 to March 2018

90% of permits issued within 40 days (April 1st to December 31, 2017) or 90% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later (January 1, 2018 onwards)

97% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2018 to March 2019

90% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

95% of permits issued within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2019 to March 2020

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

94% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2020 to March 2021

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

94% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2021 to March 2022

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

98% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

92% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

96% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of decisions made within 40 days or 20 days before the permit is required, whichever is later

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Taxidermist permits: 213 decisions made in the reporting timeframe from April 2023 to March 2024
Reporting timeframe Target Performance

April 2013 to March 2014

No targets set

No results reported

April 2014 to March 2015

80% of permits issued within 40 days

100% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2015 to March 2016

85% of permits issued within 40 days

100% of permits issued within 40 days

April 2016 to March 2017

90% of permits issued within 35 days

100% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2017 to March 2018

90% of permits issued within 35 days

100% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2018 to March 2019

90% of permits issued within 35 days

100% of permits issued within 35 days

April 2019 to March 2020

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2020 to March 2021

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2021 to March 2022

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2022 to March 2023

90% of decisions made within 35 days

100% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2023 to March 2024

90% of decisions made within 35 days

99% of decisions made within 35 days

April 2024 to March 2025

90% of decisions made within 35 days

Performance data to be provided by June 1st, 2025

Service feedback

Contact us at CWSPermit.PermisSCF@ec.gc.ca for any feedback on these service standards or on any issue related to Canadian Wildlife Service permits.

For more information

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians websites.

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