If you've been refreshing the IRCC processing-times page hoping for a number to drop, the May 6 update finally delivered — at least if you're in Canada applying for a study permit or in the US applying for a super visa. Both saw the biggest wait-time drops in months. But Pakistan and the Philippines moved the wrong way, and Canada-based work permit times still sit at almost seven months.
Here's the country-by-country read on what changed between IRCC's April 29 and May 6 updates, and what it means if you're waiting.
Study permits: Canada-based dropped 2 weeks
The headline win: study permit applications submitted from inside Canada dropped from 8 weeks to 6 weeks — a 25% improvement in a single update. That's the largest reduction in this category since late 2025, and it brings in-Canada study permits well inside IRCC's 120-day service standard.
| Applying from | Current | Previous (April 29) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 6 weeks | 8 weeks | −2 weeks |
| India | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | No change |
| Pakistan | 11 weeks | 9 weeks | +2 weeks |
| Nigeria | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | No change |
| United States | 5 weeks | 6 weeks | −1 week |
| Philippines | 5 weeks | 4 weeks | +1 week |
India remains the fastest at 4 weeks — a key data point for any study permit applicant from India trying to time a fall semester start.
Pakistan got slower for the second straight month. At 11 weeks, Pakistani study permit applicants are now looking at the longest wait among the major source countries — a reversal from late 2025 when Pakistan was running at 7–8 weeks. If you're applying from Pakistan, you need to factor an extra 2–4 weeks of buffer into your fall 2026 plans.
The 6-week in-Canada number matters most for current students. If you're transitioning between programs, extending a study permit, or moving from a PGWP back into a study permit while you wait for a PR decision, this is the line that affects you. A 2-week reduction means more breathing room before status expires.
Work permits: Canada-based at 212 days, two countries improved
Work permit times remain the brutal end of the system. Canada-based applications still take 212 days — almost seven months — barely improving from 217 days a week earlier.
| Applying from | Current | Previous (April 29) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 212 days | 217 days | −5 days |
| India | 9 weeks | 9 weeks | No change |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks | 8 weeks | No change |
| Nigeria | 6 weeks | 7 weeks | −1 week |
| United States | 5 weeks | 6 weeks | −1 week |
| Philippines | 8 weeks | 7 weeks | +1 week |
The 212-day in-Canada wait is the number that should worry you most. IRCC's service standard for in-Canada work permit submissions is 120 days. The actual wait is 76% over standard. That gap has barely moved in 2026.
What this means in practice: if you're applying for a work permit extension, an LMIA-based work permit, or a PGWP from inside Canada, plan for a 7-month wait. The good news is implied status — you can keep working under the same conditions while you wait, as long as you applied before your current permit expired.
For overseas applicants, Nigeria and the United States both dropped a week. Filipino applicants moved the wrong way (7→8 weeks), continuing a trend we've seen since March.
Visitor visas: mostly stable, slight increases
Visitor visa times barely moved, with most countries seeing increases of one to two days.
| Applying from | Current | Previous (April 29) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 11 days | 11 days |
| India | 27 days | 27 days |
| Pakistan | 50 days | 48 days |
| Nigeria | 47 days | 45 days |
| United States | 22 days | 22 days |
| Philippines | 18 days | 17 days |
The 14-day service standard for outside-Canada visitor visas is now being missed in every featured country except India (which is just over). If you're inviting parents or siblings to visit Canada this summer, you need to apply by early June at the latest from India and mid-May from Pakistan or Nigeria to get them here before September.
Super visas: US applicants got the biggest win
Super visa processing improved across the board except in Pakistan. The United States saw a 12-day reduction — the single biggest wait-time drop in any category this update.
| Applying from | Current | Previous (April 29) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 160 days | 168 days | −8 days |
| Pakistan | 107 days | 102 days | +5 days |
| Nigeria | 35 days | 37 days | −2 days |
| United States | 103 days | 115 days | −12 days |
| Philippines | 32 days | 34 days | −2 days |
The 12-day US drop puts the super visa for American parents and grandparents at 103 days — three and a half months. If you're a Canadian PR or citizen with US-based parents, this is the best window in over a year to file.
India remains the slowest at 160 days but is finally trending down after sitting at 168+ days for most of Q1. The 8-day drop is small but the direction matters: India was widening the gap with other countries through April, and May is the first sign of reversal.
What this update tells you
Three things are happening underneath these numbers:
IRCC is shifting capacity toward in-Canada decisions. The 2-week study permit drop and the 5-day in-Canada work permit drop both point to officers being reassigned to in-Canada inventories. This is probably tied to the In-Canada Workers Initiative push to fast-track 20,000 PR decisions in 2026 — which requires processing the work permit and study permit applications of those same workers first.
Pakistan and the Philippines are diverging from the rest. Both countries saw work-permit, study-permit, or visitor-visa increases this update. Two updates in a row of slowdowns suggests visa-office capacity issues, not random fluctuation. If you're in either country, file as early as possible — waiting for "the next update" is now actively costing you time.
The 212-day in-Canada work permit wait is structural. It hasn't meaningfully moved in 8+ months. If you're planning a work permit extension or transition, treat 7 months as the realistic floor, not the worst case.
Processing times update weekly, but they describe the past, not the future. The number you see is the wait the 80th-percentile applicant just experienced — meaning if IRCC's posted number is 8 weeks, 80% of applicants got a decision within 8 weeks, and 20% waited longer. When you submit, you join the new queue, and whether you land in the 80% or the 20% depends on file complexity (criminality, medicals, prior refusals), country of submission, and pure luck. Plan around the service standard (120 days for in-Canada submissions, 60 days for outside-Canada) as your "reasonable upper bound," not the headline processing time.
What to do next
Check status, plan timelines, and pick a pathway: Study Permit Guide | Work Permit Guide | PGWP Guide | Super Visa Canada 2026 | IRCC Processing Times 2026 | Restoration of Status