--- title: "IRCC processing times and application status" url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/application-status" description: "Check an immigration or citizenship application in Canada: handled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Official links checked 12 October 2026." site: "Canada Service Map" author: "Mahmoud Halat" publisher: "Space & Story" lastReviewed: "2026-10-13" licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data." --- # IRCC processing times and application status Federal service ยท Immigration, citizenship and travel Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 13 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word. ## Short answer You can check most immigration and citizenship applications online once IRCC has sent your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR). Depending on the application, use your IRCC secure account, the Client Application Status tool or the citizenship tracker. Passports have their own status tool. Published processing times are estimates, not guarantees, and start when IRCC receives a complete application. Who handles it: [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada](https://canadaservicemap.ca/bodies/immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-canada). Handles it everywhere in Canada. ## Official links - [Check your application status](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 12 October 2026 - [Processing times](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 12 October 2026 ## Steps 1. You can only check your status after IRCC sends your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email, which confirms your application arrived and is complete. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. 2. For many permanent and temporary residence applications, you can use the Client Application Status tool, which is updated daily, or link the application to an IRCC secure account to get updates and messages online. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. 3. Citizenship applicants use the citizenship tracker. To create an account you need your unique client identifier (UCI), your application number from the AOR, and the email address on your application. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. 4. Use IRCC's web form to report changes such as a marriage, a new child, a new passport or new contact details, even if you applied online. Changes sent by mail are not acknowledged. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. 5. Passport applicants check their status with a separate online tool. Online renewals show their status in real time in the IRCC Portal. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/check-passport-travel-document-application.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## How long it takes - Posted processing times are a guide only. Your application may take longer, and the times are not a maximum or a guarantee. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 13 October 2026. - Processing time starts the day IRCC receives your complete application: when you submit online, or when a paper application reaches the mailroom. It ends when a decision is made. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Good to know - IRCC agents cannot give you more detail about a citizenship application than the tracker already shows. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. - Calling IRCC will not make your application go faster. IRCC contacts you if it needs more information or documents. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Questions people ask ### When can I check my IRCC application status? After you get an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email. IRCC first receives your application, checks that it is complete and then starts processing it, which can take a while. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### How do I check the status of my passport application? Use the online status tool. If you applied in person, wait at least 5 business days; if you applied by mail in Canada or the US, wait at least 10 business days before checking. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/check-passport-travel-document-application.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### Why is my application taking longer than the processing time? It may be incomplete or complex, need extra security checks, or the yearly cap for your program may have been reached. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### How are IRCC processing times calculated? Historical times show how long it took to process 80% of that type of application in the past. Some applications show forward-looking estimates based on how many applications are waiting and how many IRCC expects to process. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### How do I update my application after I submit it? Use IRCC's web form, or ask through your online account if you have one. Do not mail changes, because IRCC will not acknowledge them. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## More - [Apply for Canadian citizenship](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/citizenship) - [Renew or replace a permanent resident card](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/pr-card) - [Immigrate to Canada (permanent residence)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/immigrate) - [Sponsor a family member to immigrate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/sponsor-family) - [Visit Canada: visitor visa or eTA](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/visit-canada) - [Get a study permit](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/study-permit) ## Cite this page Canada Service Map, "IRCC processing times and application status", checked 13 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/application-status