Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada service standards
This report covers the 2024–2025 fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31.
The service standards apply only to applications with complete information and all the required supporting documents.
On this page
- Passport and other travel document services
- Temporary residence applications
- Applications related to inadmissibility
- Permanent residence applications
- Citizenship grant
- Grants and contributions
- Other services
- Client Support Centre
Passport and other travel document services
Passports in Canada
| Type of application | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport application in person at a passport office | 10 business days | 81% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Passport application by mail | 20 business days | 65% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Passport application in person at Service Canada Centre | 20 business days | 70% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Urgent pickup | By the end of the next business day | 96% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Express pickup | 2 to 9 business days | 100% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Standard pickup | 10 business days | 92% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Weekend and statutory holiday emergency service | The same day | 96% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
Passports outside Canada
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular passport application at a Government of Canada office abroad | 20 business days | 93% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Temporary passport | 20 business days | 100% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Emergency travel document | 20 business days | 99% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
Other travel documents in Canada
| Type of application | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of identity | 20 business days | 39% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
| Refugee travel document | 20 business days | 59% | 90% | July 2013 | June 2018 |
Administrative services
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adding a special stamp requested when applying for the passport or other travel document | Same processing time as the passport or other travel document | No applications received this year | 90% | March 2014 | June 2018 |
| Adding a special stamp requested after we issue the passport or travel document: 10 business days | 10 business days | No applications received this year | 90% | March 2014 | June 2018 |
| Certified true copy of a passport or other travel document | 10 business days | 91% | 90% | March 2014 | June 2018 |
| File transfers between offices in Canada | 3 business days (from the office that accepts application to office that delivers passport) | 95% | 90% | March 2014 | June 2018 |
Temporary residence applications
Work permits
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial work permits from outside Canada: All programs (excluding International Experience Canada)Footnote * | 60 days | 72% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
| Work permit extensions from in Canada | 120 days | 75% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
| International Experience Canada work permits | 56 days or less | 99% | 100% | September 2013 | June 2018 |
Economic
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issuance of opinions to employers on exemption from labour market impact assessment or work permit | 14 days | 94% | 80% | April 2010 |
Study permits
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New study permit applications submitted outside Canada | 60 days | 81% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
| Study permit (new permit and extension) applications submitted in Canada | 120 days | 85% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
Visitor visas and electronic travel authorizations (eTA)
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New visitor visa applications submitted outside Canada | 14 days | 29% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
| New parent and grandparent super visa applications submitted outside Canada | 112 days | 85% | 80% | November 2016 | February 2019 |
| Electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) | Automated approvals within 5 minutes for most people | 87% | 80% | March 2018 | n/a |
| Send correspondence with next steps within 72 hours if applicants don’t receive an automated decision within 5 minutes | 81% | 80% | March 2018 | n/a |
Applications related to inadmissibility
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorization to return to Canada | Acknowledgement of processing sent within 30 calendar days | 96% | 80% | December 2023 |
| Criminal rehabilitation | Acknowledgement of processing sent within 30 calendar days | 99% | 80% | December 2023 |
| Temporary resident permit | Acknowledgement of processing sent within 30 calendar days | 100% | 80% | December 2023 |
| Restoration of temporary resident status | 5 months | 95% | 80% | December 2023 |
Permanent residence applications
Permanent resident cards
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New permanent resident card | 60 days after confirming a permanent residence form has been completed at a port of entry or at an IRCC inland office | 84% | 80% | April 2010 | February 2019 |
Economic immigration
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian experience class (via Express Entry) | 180 days | 86% | 80% (within the approved annual immigration levels plan) |
March 2015 | February 2019 |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (via Express Entry) | 180 days | 87% | 80% (within the approved annual immigration levels plan) |
March 2015 | February 2019 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (paper applications) | 11 months (not including the processing that the province or territory does) | 67% | 80% (within the approved annual immigration levels plan) |
September 2011 | February 2019 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (via Express Entry – Electronic applications) | 180 days (not including the processing that the province or territory does) | 79% | 80% (within the approved annual immigration levels plan) |
March 2015 | February 2019 |
| Quebec-selected skilled worker program | 11 months (not including the processing that the province or territory does) | 87% | 80% | September 2011 | February 2019 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (via Express Entry) | 180 days (not including the processing that the province or territory does) | 0% | 80% (within the approved annual immigration levels plan) |
March 2015 | February 2019 |
Family sponsorship
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family class priority (overseas – spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children) | 12 months | 75% | 80% | April 2010 |
Citizenship grant (becoming a Canadian citizen)
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship grant (becoming a Canadian citizen) for adults and minors | 12 months | 86% | 80% | November 2015 |
| Right of citizenship | Invite applicants to a citizenship ceremony within 4 months of approving their application | 99% | 80% | June 2018 |
Grants and contributions
Funding decisions
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tell applicants if their application will proceed for negotiation of a contribution agreement between us and the submitting party | within 140 calendar days of the close of the call for proposals | 0% | 80% | April 2010 | February 2019 |
| tell applicants if we need more time to decide | within 140 calendar days of the close of the call for proposals | 0% | 80% | April 2010 | February 2019 |
Unsolicited proposals
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced | Service standard reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tell applicants of the decision made regarding their concept submission | within 45 calendar days of the decision being made | 100% | 80% | April 2010 | February 2019 |
| tell applicants of the decision made regarding their proposal submission | within 60 calendar days of the decision being made | 100% | 80% | April 2010 | February 2019 |
If you have any questions about your submission for funding, you can email us at CFP-ADP@cic.gc.ca.
Other services
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verification of status or immigration document replacement | 180 days | 92% | 80% | June 2018 |
Client Support Centre
| Type of service | Our service standard | Our performance | Our target | Service standard introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email enquiries | Acknowledge receipt of web form enquiries (emails) within 1 business day. Answer them within 3 business days if coordination with other offices or additional follow-up is not required, and otherwise, respond case by case. | Answered 19% of web form enquiries within 3 business days | 80% | December 2019 |
| Telephone enquiries | 50% of calls requesting an agent get into the queue | 41% |
80% | December 2019 |
| Callers wait 30 minutes or less once in the queue | 92% |
80% | December 2019 |