Individuals applying for Canadian permanent residence (PR) and citizenship now have access to enhanced transparency regarding the processing timelines of their applications. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently updated its online application processing tool to provide applicants with the ability to determine when their application is expected to be processed and their position in the queue.

Changes to the IRCC Processing Tool

The IRCC processing tool now includes two key questions for specific application types, allowing applicants to gain insights into the status of their applications:

Question 1: Have you already submitted an application?

Applicants can choose between “Yes” or “No” to indicate whether they have applied.

Question 2: When did you apply?

Applicants can input the date of their application.

Scenario one: You have already submitted an application

If an applicant selects “Yes” for question 1 and provides the application date for question 2, the tool will display:

• The estimated remaining processing time for the application;
• The number of applicants ahead in the processing queue;
• The total number of applicants awaiting a decision.

The tool also presents the processing time for current applicants for comparison purposes.

Example: Sally submitted an economic immigration application under the Atlantic Immigration Program in May 2025. By checking the processing times for this application type, she can determine the following:

Estimated time left: 26 months

Applicants ahead of her: Approximately 9,500

Total applicants waiting for a decision: Around 13,100

Processing time for current applicants: About 37 months