Canada Announces New Processing Times for Visa Applicants
- Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated its processing-time estimates on September 16, 2026
- Study permit processing for Nigerians rose to 10 weeks, while visitor visa estimates climbed to 87 days
- IRCC processed over 1.8 million temporary residence applications in the first seven months of 2026, with 394,000 still pending
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Canada has raised its estimated processing times for several temporary residence applications from Nigerians, covering study permits, visitor visas, and super visas.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released updated figures on September 16, 2026, reflecting increases across key application categories for Nigerian applicants compared with the previous week.
Source: Getty Images
New processing times for Nigerian applicants
The most notable changes affected study permits and super visas.
For Nigerians applying from within Nigeria, study permit processing moved from nine weeks to 10 weeks. Super visa processing also climbed, rising from 44 days to 46 days.
Visitor visa estimates for Nigerians increased from 84 days to 87 days. Work permit processing, however, remained unchanged at 10 weeks for applicants in Nigeria.
For study permit applications submitted from within Canada, the estimate rose from seven to eight weeks. Processing times for applicants in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines held steady for study permits, while the United States recorded an increase in work permit processing from two to three weeks.
Pakistan saw its visitor visa estimate inch up from 73 to 75 days, while India and the United States recorded slight decreases. On super visas, the United States saw a sharp rise from 66 days to 116 days, while Pakistan's estimate fell considerably from 132 days to 95 days.
IRCC cautioned that these figures are estimates, not deadlines.
Actual timelines depend on application volumes, case complexity, available processing capacity, and whether applicants are called upon to submit further documents or information.
Source: Getty Images
Canada tightens International student rules
The updated figures come as Canada continues to apply tighter controls on temporary residents, particularly international students.
The government has cut its target for new international student arrivals and introduced provincial and territorial allocation limits on study permit applications.
Canada has set a 2026 study permit issuance target of 408,000, covering both new entrants and extensions for students already in the country.
The government has described these measures as part of a broader strategy to manage temporary migration and ease pressure on housing and public services.
Canada announces official fees for visas
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published the official fee schedule for immigration and citizenship applications, covering every major application category from visitor visas to permanent residence and citizenship grants.
The fees are denominated in Canadian dollars and apply to all applicants, including those from Nigeria, regardless of where they are applying from.
For those seeking to enter Canada on a short-term basis, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) costs CAD 7
Source: Legit.ng
