PR & Citizenship Update — June 29, 2026
Monday, June 29, 2026
Processing times dropped significantly for Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) applicants — down 12 months to 26 months — and improved modestly for PNP (down 1 month) and Quebec Business Class (down 2 months) as of June 8, 2026.
Family sponsorship wait times rose by 1 month for most categories, including spouses, common-law partners, and parents and grandparents, while Express Entry and Quebec PSTQ times held flat.
IRCC issued 112,600 permanent residence decisions and welcomed 285,500 new citizens between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, signaling strong overall processing output.
What You Should Do
- If you are an AIP applicant, check your application status on your IRCC secure account (ircc.canada.ca) — wait times have dropped from 38 to 26 months as of June 8, 2026, meaning decisions may arrive sooner than previously expected.
- If you are a PNP applicant (base or enhanced), update your processing time expectations: current wait is approximately 1 month shorter than the May 12 estimate. Check the latest processing times at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html.
- If you are sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner, or parent/grandparent, note that family sponsorship wait times increased by 1 month in the June 8 update. Monitor processing times monthly at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html to adjust your planning.
- If you are a Quebec Business Class applicant, processing time dropped by 2 months as of June 8 — confirm your current queue position through your IRCC account and ensure all required documents are submitted to avoid delays.
Sources
Topics Covered
PR Card Processing Efficiency: As of June 8, 2026, AIP processing times fell 12 months to 26 months, PNP dropped 1 month, and Quebec Business Class dropped 2 months, while no economic PR category saw an increase.
Citizenship Processing Improvements: IRCC welcomed 285,500 new citizens between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, and held over 80 ceremonies during Citizenship Week in April 2026 alone, welcoming approximately 6,000 new citizens.
Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: Family sponsorship wait times, including for spouses and common-law partners, increased by 1 month in the June 8, 2026 update, moving in the opposite direction from economic PR streams.
More PR & Citizenship Updates
PR & Citizenship Update — June 25, 2026
Jun 25, 2026
PR & Citizenship Update — June 22, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
PR & Citizenship Update — June 18, 2026
Jun 18, 2026
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