Latest IRCC processing-time update shows Start-Up Visa at 10 years, Express Entry steady at 6–7 months

Data aggregator ImmiSignal synchronized with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at 07:00 ET on 28 June and published fresh global averages for all immigration categories. The headline numbers are sobering for entrepreneurs: the Start-Up Visa is now listed at 120 months—double the wait time posted in early 2025—reflecting an application surge before the program pause on 1 January 2026. By contrast, core economic streams remain within service-standard territory. Express Entry applications under the Provincial Nominee and Federal Skilled Trades classes still show six-month averages, while Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class sit at seven months. The Atlantic Immigration Program has crept up to 26 months, and the Home Child-Care Provider pilot remains stuck at 80 months. On the temporary side, work-permit and study-permit processing holds at roughly 144 and 71 days respectively, but visitor-visa times have widened to 31 days globally, with several African posts exceeding 90 days. Electronic Travel Authorisations (eTAs) continue to average one day.



VisaHQ can help travellers and HR teams capitalize on those quicker categories: through its online portal, clients receive automated visa requirement checks, document-preparation support and real-time status alerts, simplifying everything from eTAs to complex work-permit filings.

For employers and relocation managers, the update underlines the importance of choosing the right pathway. Fast-track options such as Global Talent Stream (two-week work-permit processing once an LMIA is issued) or intra-company transfers under the International Mobility Program remain far quicker than entrepreneur streams. Companies considering Start-Up Visa sponsorship must plan for multi-year interim work permits, and applicants should budget for repeated renewals. IRCC publishes processing times weekly, but ImmiSignal’s daily scrape offers near-real-time insight for mobility teams monitoring backlogs.