In its weekly dashboard update on June 24, IRCC reported that average processing times for in-Canada work-permit extensions have dropped to 144 days—27 days faster than the previous week and the lowest figure recorded in 2026. The same dataset shows dramatic improvements for overseas applicants in Nigeria (now nine weeks, down from sixteen) and a 44-day acceleration for Indian ‘Super Visa’ applications. Officials credit the gains to a new “inventory triage” model that redistributes files in real time to under-utilised offices, plus additional overtime approved for case officers ahead of the July/August study-permit surge. The numbers suggest Ottawa may finally be clawing back pandemic-era backlogs that peaked above 2.2 million files in 2022. For employers, the faster inland timeline reduces the period during which foreign workers rely on maintained status—a grey area that can complicate travel and benefit eligibility. HR teams should still file extensions at least 30 days before expiry, but may see approvals before six months for the first time in years. International students planning post-graduation work-permit transitions also gain breathing room: study-permit extension times remain steady at six weeks in-Canada and four weeks for Indian applicants. Stakeholders caution that gains are uneven—parent and grand-parent super-visa files from Pakistan lengthened by 11 days—and that future labour disruptions at IRCC call centres could erase progress. Nonetheless, the update provides the most positive service-standard news for employers since early 2024.
Source: Liberty Immigration Blog
