Canada Immigration Updates: Processing Times Shift in March 2026
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its mid-March processing time dashboard on March 11, 2026, revealing the first significant changes of the year. Notably, processing times for dependent-child sponsorship applications from India have decreased substantially, and adjustments have been observed in other family and economic immigration categories.
Dependent-Child Sponsorship Times for India See Significant Reduction
A key development is the reduction in processing times for dependent-child sponsorship applications submitted from India, falling from 16 to 8 months. Industry experts attribute this improvement to the clearing of biometrics backlogs in New Delhi High Commission of Canada in India.
Visitor Visas and Other Family Class Updates
Decision times for visitor visas for Indian nationals have similarly decreased, by approximately three weeks, alleviating pressure on Canada’s VFS application centres. Within the family class, in-Canada spousal cases in Quebec have increased to 36 months, whereas parent–grandparent applications nationwide now take one month less to process.
Economic Class and Employer-Sponsored Programs
Processing times for economic-class programs, including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), remain stable at seven and 13 months, respectively. However, IRCC’s inventory shows 108,000 PNP applications are currently in the queue—more than double Ottawa’s annual target.
Wait times for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and caregiver programs remain lengthy, at 33 months each, exceeding the 11-month service standard. This suggests a potential reallocation of IRCC resources towards processing high-volume visitor visas in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. In June-July.
Advice for Applicants and Employers
Immigration consultants recommend that Indian clients submit visitor-visa and dependent-child applications promptly, given the current positive momentum. Businesses relying on PNP or AIP hires should plan for at least a two-year timeframe for workforce planning and explore alternatives like intra-company transfers or the Global Talent Stream until backlogs are reduced.
Contact Information for Consular Assistance
For emergency consular assistance, contact the High Commission of Canada in India, in New Delhi:
- Street Address: 7/8 Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021, India
- Telephone: +91 11 4178 2000
- Fax: +91 11 4178 2023
- Email: india.consular@international.gc.ca
- Website: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/india-inde/new_delhi.aspx?lang=eng
Please note that the Consulate General of Canada in Chandigarh has temporarily suspended in-person operations.