IRCC's August 10 update shows proof of citizenship processing jumping to 25 months on a descent-application surge, while FSWP, PGP, and renunciation processing times improved.
IRCC refreshed its permanent residence and citizenship processing times on August 10, 2026. The headline number isn't subtle: proof of citizenship processing has jumped to 25 months, up from 19 months in July and just 3 months back in March — a direct result of the December 2025 change that let far more people claim citizenship by descent. Elsewhere, the news was better: Federal Skilled Worker (FSWP) applicants and Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) sponsors both saw their waits shrink.
As of August 10, the estimated processing time for a proof of Canadian citizenship certificate reached 25 months, and the inventory grew by roughly 22,300 applications in a single reporting cycle to about 121,800 people waiting. That's a five-month climb in wait time terms from just five months ago.
| Month (2026) | Processing time |
|---|
| March | 3 months |
| July | 19 months |
| August | 25 months |
The driver is a policy change, not a processing slowdown on IRCC's part. On December 15, 2025, Canada removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent for anyone born before that date — meaning a person with an unbroken line back to a Canadian ancestor is now a citizen automatically, regardless of how many generations separate them. That opened the door to a wave of people who previously had no citizenship claim at all, and most of them need a proof of citizenship certificate to actually use that status. If you've been researching a citizenship-by-descent claim, see our CIT 0014 checklist for what the application actually requires.
What this means for you: if you're eligible under the new descent rules, the 25-month estimate is a real number to plan around — not a worst case. Submitting a complete, well-documented application now is still faster than waiting for the backlog to clear, since IRCC processes files roughly in the order they're received. If you're missing a genealogical record, don't wait for it to arrive before applying if you're otherwise ready — a follow-up submission is generally faster than restarting the clock.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) applicants now face the same wait time for the first time this year.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 6 months | 7 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | N/A* | N/A* |
*IRCC does not publish FSTP processing times, citing insufficient data. Service standard: 6 months across all Express Entry programs.
Inventory: CEC 59,700 (down 1,800) · FSWP 52,400 (down 3,400).
The base (non-Express Entry) PNP stream is the one line that got slower this update — even though IRCC processed 1,400 fewer base applications than sat in the queue last month.
| Application type | Current (August 10) | Previous (July 7) |
|---|
| Enhanced (through Express Entry) | 7 months | 7 months |
| Base (non-Express Entry) | 13 months | 12 months |
Service standard: 6 months (enhanced), 11 months (base). Inventory: enhanced 11,800 (down 300) · base 102,400 (down 1,400).
Quebec's Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) held at 11 months despite IRCC clearing 1,000 applications from the queue, and Quebec Business Class remains stuck at 75 months. The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) also held flat at 26 months. Both the Federal Self-Employed Persons Program and Start-Up Visa remain quoted at 10+ years — IRCC itself has called the self-employed program "no longer fit for purpose."
Outside Quebec, spousal sponsorship processing times didn't move, but the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) improved by a month in both destinations.
| Application type | Current (Aug 10) | Previous (Jul 7) |
|---|
| Spouse/partner — inside Canada | 27 months | 27 months |
| Spouse/partner — outside Canada | 17 months | 17 months |
| PGP (outside Quebec) | 29 months | 30 months |
| PGP (within Quebec) | 64 months | 65 months |
Inventory for spouses outside Canada grew by nearly 3,900 applications, the largest single movement in the family category this update — worth watching if you're applying under that stream, since a growing queue can eventually show up as a longer wait time even before the published estimate changes.
| Application type | Current (Aug 10) | Previous (Jul 7) |
|---|
| Citizenship grant | 12 months | 12 months |
| Renunciation of citizenship | 4 months | 7 months |
| Search of citizenship records | 17 months | 17 months |
Citizenship grant applications in inventory: 328,200, up about 2,000 from July.
Tip
If your citizenship-by-descent claim depends on a genealogical record from an archive — a baptism record, an old birth registration — don't let a missing document hold up your application while the queue keeps growing. IRCC generally lets you submit supporting evidence after the fact; getting your file into the queue sooner matters more than submitting a "perfect" package later.
Processing times are estimates of how long an application type is currently taking — either historical (based on the last 80% of completed files) or forward-looking (based on current inventory and capacity). They're not a guarantee for any individual case. Service standards are IRCC's own performance targets, which change far less often — Express Entry's standard hasn't moved since 2019. IRCC updates permanent residence and citizenship processing times roughly monthly.
Previous Update (August 5, Temporary Residence) | Citizenship by Descent Checklist | Canadian Citizenship Guide | PGP Guide
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.