The processing times for certain countries, including the time it takes to make the initial assessment of the sponsor, are now less than one year. These countries include France, Australia, Spain, Tunisia, Belgium, Algeria, Morocco, New Zealand, Peru, Brazil, Iran, Israel, Portugal, Poland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, and Switzerland. For many other countries, the processing time is around one year or slightly longer.
In March of this year, the new Liberal government of Canada announced in its immigration level plan that it intends to increase the number of new permanent residents who arrive in Canada through the Family Class category, including spouses and common-law partners.
This factor may have the effect of further reducing application processing times. The government is considering facility for spouses outside Canada to be able to travel to Canada during the process.
“For most individuals and couples who realistically only have the Outland option, reduced processing times are a huge bonus. As we know from history, however, sponsorship processing times may fluctuate over the long term.”
