Canada processing-time changes: September 3, 2026
GovWait compared 28 IRCC records from August 10, 2026 with the official values dated September 3, 2026. Of 28 routes with a published value at both checks, 8 changed and 20 stayed at the same published value.
This URL preserves the comparison dated September 3, 2026. Later refreshes create new issues instead of rewriting this one. Subscribe to the GovWait reports RSS feed for newly detected changes.
Largest increases
“Longer” means the agency’s newer published value increased; it does not mean every individual application slowed by that amount.
| Route | August 10, 2026 | September 3, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | About 25 months | About 33 months | Longer 32% |
| Federal Skilled Worker | About 6 months | About 7 months | Longer 16.7% |
| Outside-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 17 months | About 18 months | Longer 5.9% |
| Dependants abroad of protected persons — outside Quebec | About 40 months | About 41 months | Longer 2.5% |
Largest decreases
“Shorter” means the newer official value fell. It remains a planning statistic, not a deadline or a promise for a particular case.
| Route | August 10, 2026 | September 3, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 27 months | About 26 months | Shorter 3.7% |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 29 months | About 28 months | Shorter 3.4% |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (Quebec) | About 64 months | About 63 months | Shorter 1.6% |
| Caregivers (all programs) | About 78 months | About 77 months | Shorter 1.3% |
Where changes were concentrated
| Service | Changed routes | Longer | Shorter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caregivers (all programs) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dependants abroad of protected persons — outside Quebec | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Federal Skilled Worker | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| In-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Outside-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (Quebec) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Complete list of changed published values
The table below contains all 8 numeric changes in this issue, not only the largest movements.
| Route | Previous | Current | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | About 25 months | About 33 months | Longer 32% |
| Federal Skilled Worker | About 6 months | About 7 months | Longer 16.7% |
| Outside-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 17 months | About 18 months | Longer 5.9% |
| In-Canada Spouse Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 27 months | About 26 months | Shorter 3.7% |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (outside Quebec) | About 29 months | About 28 months | Shorter 3.4% |
| Dependants abroad of protected persons — outside Quebec | About 40 months | About 41 months | Longer 2.5% |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (Quebec) | About 64 months | About 63 months | Shorter 1.6% |
| Caregivers (all programs) | About 78 months | About 77 months | Shorter 1.3% |
Method and limits
GovWait compares consecutive rows in its append-only history. A numeric change is counted only when both official observations contain a published duration and the normalized values differ. Unchanged values and unavailable states are counted separately. Percentages are calculated from normalized days, while the tables retain the agency’s original day-or-week wording.
This analysis describes changes in published planning figures, not case outcomes, approval odds or a guarantee for an individual application. Read the current Canada comparison and methodology or the full GovWait methodology.