Family Sponsorship Update — June 11, 2026
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Spousal sponsorship processing times as of June 2026 are approximately 15 months for outland applications (applicant outside Canada) and approximately 21 months for inland applications (applicant inside Canada), according to the most recent IRCC data.
Family sponsorship wait times — particularly for the Parents and Grandparents Program — were declining as of February 2026, while many temporary resident application types (study and work permits) saw processing time increases over the same period.
What You Should Do
- If you are sponsoring a spouse from outside Canada (outland), plan for approximately 15 months of processing time; ensure your application is complete and submitted through the IRCC portal at ircc.canada.ca to avoid additional delays from incomplete documents.
- If you are an inland spousal sponsorship applicant, apply simultaneously for an open work permit (OWP) alongside your sponsorship application to allow your spouse to work while waiting — the OWP typically processes in 4–6 months. Submit via ircc.canada.ca.
- If you are sponsoring parents or grandparents, check current PGP processing times at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html, as times were reported to be declining as of February 2026.
Sources
Topics Covered
Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: As of June 2026, outland spousal sponsorship processing is approximately 15 months and inland approximately 21 months; IRCC's service standard targets 80% of complete applications within 12 months, which is currently not being met.
Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: PGP wait times were reported to be declining as of February 2026, bucking the trend seen in other application types where processing times increased.
More Family Sponsorship Updates
Family Sponsorship Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
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