Archive · 27 Jul 2026
Canada Updates Student Visa Processing Times
Canada has updated the processing times for student visas and other immigration categories.
For Indian students, standard study permit applications take about 8 to 12 weeks, while those who qualify for the Student Direct Stream (SDS) can get their permits in as little as 20 days.
Work permits for essential occupations take around 9 weeks, visitor visas take 21 days if applied from outside Canada and 29 days if applied from inside Canada, and permanent resident cards take about 41 days.
For those applying for a citizenship certificate, the wait is about 19 months.
The high volume of applications from India and additional background checks can sometimes delay the process.
Standard study permit processing times for India are 8 to 12 weeks.
SDS applicants can get their permits in as little as 20 days.
Work permit processing times are 9 weeks for essential occupations.
Visitor visa processing times are 21 days outside Canada and 29 days inside Canada.
Permanent resident cards take about 41 days to process.
- Who
- Indian students seeking permits to study in Canada
- What
- Updated visa processing times for various categories
- When
- Current processing times as of the latest update
- Where
- Canada
- Why
- To provide transparency and manage expectations for applicants
Standard Processing
Student Direct Stream (SDS)
Processing Time
Standard Processing
8 to 12 weeks
Student Direct Stream (SDS)
as little as 20 days
- Standard Processing Time
- 8 to 12 weeks
- SDS Processing Time
- as little as 20 days
- Work Permit Processing Time
- 9 weeks
- Visitor Visa Processing Time (outside Canada)
- 21 days
- Visitor Visa Processing Time (inside Canada)
- 29 days
- Permanent Resident Card Processing Time
- 41 days
- Citizenship Certificate Processing Time
- 19 months