Canada citizenship processing time stretches to 19 months

Prospective Canadian citizens could face significantly longer waits after the Canadian government increased the estimated processing time for citizenship applications to about 19 months amid a growing backlog.

The updated timeline released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicates that new applicants may now wait approximately one year and seven months before receiving a decision on their citizenship applications, up from much shorter estimates earlier this year.

The increase reflects a rising inventory of pending applications and changes in IRCC’s processing projections. According to the department, processing times are calculated based on the number of applications already in the system, available processing capacity, expected new applications and the complexity of individual cases.

IRCC stressed that the published timelines are estimates rather than guarantees, noting that some applications may take longer if additional documentation, security checks or further reviews are required. Factors such as incomplete applications, missed interviews or citizenship tests, and criminal or admissibility concerns can also extend processing times.

The department explained that the processing clock begins when a complete application is received and ends once a final decision is made and, where applicable, the applicant completes the citizenship ceremony.

The revised estimate has sparked concern among applicants, with online discussions pointing to a steady rise in waiting times over recent months as the number of pending cases continues to increase.

IRCC said processing estimates are updated regularly to reflect current operating conditions and may change depending on application volumes, staffing levels and other operational priorities.