Canada raises study permit, visitor visa processing times for Nigerians

Nigerian applicants for study and visitor visas in Canada are experiencing extended processing times, according to the latest update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As of September 16, the processing time for study permits from Nigeria rose from nine weeks to ten weeks. Similarly, the estimated processing time for visitor visas increased from 84 days to 87 days.

The figures, obtained from CIC News, were part of IRCC's weekly temporary residence processing-time update. However, the processing time for work permits from Nigeria remained the same at 10 weeks. Super visa applicants from Nigeria saw a minor increase, with the processing time rising from 44 days to 46 days. IRCC updates its processing estimates weekly, stating that these are merely estimates and not fixed deadlines.

Factors such as application type, volume, and case complexity can influence the actual processing time. The length of processing could also be affected by additional documents, interviews, medical examinations, or police certificates required by the applicant. The changes were not isolated to Nigerian applicants. For study permits, the estimate for applicants from Canada increased from seven to eight weeks.

Meanwhile, those from India, Pakistan, the United States, and the Philippines remained unchanged. Visitor visa applicants from Pakistan saw a rise from 73 to 75 days, while those from India saw a decrease from 31 to 29 days. Super visa applicants in Nigeria experienced a slight increase, while the estimate for applicants from the United States jumped from 66 to 116 days.

Pakistan's estimate fell from 132 to 95 days. IRCC distinguishes between processing times and service standards, which are targets for processing applications under normal conditions. They also cautioned that individual applications may take longer or shorter than the published estimates. Applicants can check the latest estimates for their application type and country through IRCC's processing-time tool.