Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released updated processing times for economic immigration and citizenship applications on April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) dropped to six months from seven \u2014 its first improvement since early 2025. Citizenship grants also fell by one month to 12 months, with the queue shrinking for the first time this year.<\/p>\n
However, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) queue grew by over 10,000 in a single month, and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) jumped up by seven months to 40 \u2014 the largest single increase in any economic category this update.<\/p>\n
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is This article covers the latest processing times for:<\/p>\n Processing times for economic immigration are compared against the March 9 update, with current times as of April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n Economic immigration The FSWP saw its first processing time improvement in months, dropping to six months. CEC and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) processing times remain unchanged.<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tCanadian Experience Class (CEC)\u00a07 months\u00a07 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tFederal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)\u00a07 months\u00a06 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tFederal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)*\u00a0N\/A\u00a0N\/A\u00a0<\/p>\n *IRCC<\/a> does not release processing time estimates for the FSTP due to insufficient data.<\/p>\n CEC<\/a> applications currently waiting for a decision: 54,600. All Express Entry programs have a service standard of six months.<\/p>\n While the FSWP improvement is welcome, the CEC queue tells a different story. It grew by roughly 10,300 since March and has added over 20,000 applicants since February \u2014 a sign that new applications are arriving faster than IRCC can clear them. If this pace continues, longer CEC wait times could follow.<\/p>\n The FSWP queue, by contrast, shrank by about 1,200 to 44,100. Combined with the one-month processing drop, this suggests IRCC has been prioritizing this stream.<\/p>\n Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)<\/p>\n No changes in processing times were recorded for enhanced or base PNP<\/a> applications.<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tThrough Express Entry (enhanced)\u00a07 months\u00a07 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tNon-Express Entry (base)\u00a013 months\u00a013 months\u00a0<\/p>\n Enhanced<\/a> PNP applications currently waiting for a decision: 13,700. The service standard for enhanced PNP applications is six months, while base applications have a standard of 11 months.<\/p>\n The enhanced PNP queue grew slightly by 700, while the base PNP queue barely moved (+100). Base PNP applications continue to sit well above the 11-month service standard at 13 months.<\/p>\n Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams Quebec immigration<\/p>\n Processing times for Quebec’s<\/a> Skilled Worker Selection Program<\/a> (PSTQ) remain unchanged.<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tSkilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ)\u00a011 months\u00a011 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tQuebec Business Class\u00a080 months\u00a078 months\u00a0<\/p>\n PSTQ applications currently waiting for a decision: 25,700. PSTQ applications have a service standard of six months.<\/p>\n The PSTQ queue shrank by 1,200 to 25,700, even as processing times held steady. The Quebec Business Class saw a two-month improvement to 78 months, though this stream remains one of the longest waits in the economic immigration system.<\/p>\n Learn more about your options for immigrating to Quebec Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)<\/p>\n The AIP<\/a> saw a sharp increase in processing times, jumping seven months in one update.<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tAtlantic Immigration Program\u00a033 months\u00a040 months\u00a0<\/p>\n AIP applications currently waiting for a decision: 13,200. The AIP had held steady at 33 months since at least February, making this seven-month jump the most significant negative shift in any economic stream this month. At 40 months, the AIP now sits well over three times its service standard. The queue itself actually shrank slightly (by 300), which suggests the increase may reflect IRCC working through older, more complex cases rather than a surge in new applications.<\/p>\n Other economic programs<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tStart-Up Visa\u00a0More than 10 years\u00a0More than 10 years\u00a0<\/p>\n \tFederal Self-Employed\u00a0More than 10 years\u00a0More than 10 years\u00a0<\/p>\n Neither program has a published service standard. Both remain effectively frozen with processing times exceeding 10 years.<\/p>\n Citizenship<\/p>\n Citizenship<\/a> grants continued their downward trend, with processing times dropping one month for the second consecutive update. The queue also shrank for the first time in 2026.<\/p>\n \tApplication type\u00a0Previous\u00a0(Mar. 9)\u00a0Current (Apr. 7)\u00a0<\/p>\n \tCitizenship grant\u00a013 months\u00a012 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tCitizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)\u00a010 months\u00a010 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tRenunciation of citizenship\u00a010 months\u00a010 months\u00a0<\/p>\n \tSearch of citizenship records\u00a017 months\u00a017 months\u00a0<\/p>\n Applications for a citizenship grant currently waiting for a decision: 313,200. IRCC only publishes service standards for citizenship grant applications, which sit at 12 months.<\/p>\n At the time of publishing, IRCC is sending acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) notices for citizenship applications filed on or around October 22, 2025.<\/p>\n The citizenship grant queue dropped by about 6,800 since March \u2014 a meaningful contraction after months of growth. Processing is now at 12 months, matching the service standard for the first time in recent memory. Since February, when grants sat at 14 months, IRCC has cut two full months from the estimate.<\/p>\n The citizenship certificate queue, on the other hand, grew by 5,400 to 56,300 despite unchanged processing times. This stream could face longer waits if the trend continues.<\/p>\n
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\nExpress Entry<\/p>\n
\nFSWP<\/a> applications currently waiting for a decision: 44,100.<\/p>\n
\nBase PNP applications currently waiting for a decision: 108,100.<\/p>\n
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\nQuebec Business Class applications currently waiting for a decision: 3,800.<\/p>\n
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\nThe AIP has a service standard of 11 months.<\/p>\n
\nApplications for a citizenship certificate currently waiting for a decision: 56,300.<\/p>\n