Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest processing times update on April 7, 2026, revealing a mixed picture for economic immigration applicants. While the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) saw its first improvement in over a year, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) queue continued to expand, and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) experienced a sharp slowdown. On a positive note, citizenship processing continued to improve.
These updates, based on data as of early April, highlight how IRCC is managing application volumes across different streams amid ongoing efforts to balance backlogs.
Express Entry Programs
The service standard for all Express Entry programs remains six months.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): Processing time dropped from 7 months to 6 months — the first reduction since early 2025. The number of applications waiting for a decision decreased by about 1,200 to 44,100, suggesting IRCC has been prioritizing this stream.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): Processing time stayed at 7 months. However, the backlog grew significantly by roughly 10,300 applications in one month, reaching 54,600. Since February, the CEC queue has increased by over 20,000, indicating that new applications are arriving faster than they can be processed. If this trend continues, longer wait times may follow.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): IRCC does not publish specific processing times due to limited data.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
No changes were recorded for PNP processing times.
- Enhanced PNP (via Express Entry): Remained at 7 months (service standard: 6 months). The queue grew slightly by 700 to 13,700 applications.
- Base PNP (non-Express Entry): Stayed at 13 months (service standard: 11 months). The queue increased marginally by 100 to 108,100 applications.
Other Economic Immigration Streams
- Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ): Processing time unchanged at 11 months (service standard: 6 months). The queue shrank by 1,200 to 25,700 applications.
- Quebec Business Class: Improved slightly from 80 months to 78 months, with 3,800 applications pending.
- Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): Saw the largest negative shift, jumping from 33 months to 40 months (service standard: 11 months). The queue decreased slightly by 300 to 13,200 applications. This increase may result from IRCC processing older or more complex cases.
- Start-Up Visa and Federal Self-Employed programs: Both remain effectively frozen with processing times listed as more than 10 years. The Start-Up Visa has 46,200 applications pending, while the Federal Self-Employed has 8,100.
Citizenship Applications
Citizenship processing showed continued improvement for the second consecutive update.
- Citizenship Grant: Dropped from 13 months to 12 months, aligning with the official service standard. The queue shrank by approximately 6,800 applications to 313,200 — the first reduction this year.
- Citizenship Certificate (Proof of Citizenship): Remained at 10 months, but the queue grew by 5,400 to 56,300 applications.
- Other citizenship services (renunciation and search of records) stayed unchanged.
IRCC is currently issuing Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) notices for citizenship applications submitted around October 22, 2025.
What This Means for Applicants
The April update presents a mixed bag. FSWP applicants benefit from faster processing and a shrinking backlog, while CEC candidates face growing competition for attention as the queue expands. The dramatic slowdown in the AIP is particularly concerning for those in Atlantic provinces.
Citizenship applicants, however, can expect relatively smoother progress, with processing now meeting the 12-month standard.
IRCC’s processing times represent an estimate of how long it currently takes to finalize 80% of applications. Actual wait times can vary based on individual case complexity, completeness of documentation, and fluctuating application volumes.
Applicants are encouraged to monitor their accounts regularly, ensure all documents are up to date, and respond promptly to any requests from IRCC. Those in slower streams may need to plan for longer timelines or explore alternative pathways.
This update underscores IRCC’s ongoing challenge of balancing resources across high-volume programs while responding to labour market needs. Future improvements will likely depend on application intake levels and any operational adjustments in the coming months.
Prospective immigrants should stay informed through official IRCC channels, as processing dynamics can shift quickly.
