The progress bar first appears on MyCIC within a few weeks (2 to 4) of submitting the application. When the progress bar first appears on MyCIC account, it usually indicates that the R10 (Completeness Check) should also be completed.
Note that the progress bar just shows the time elapsed from the day an application is submitted. It does not inform what stage or how far an application has been processed.
If your progress bar is at 100% then you may see a message in MyCIC like this
"Your application is taking us longer than usual to process. About 20% of our applications are more complex to process. They take us longer due to things like how easily we can verify information, how well and how quickly you answer our requests, and whether the application is complete."
How long did it take to process an Express Entry application?
Table 35 displays the time, in months, that IRCC took to process 80% of applications under each program. In 2019, IRCC did not meet the processing standard of finalizing 80% of all applications sourced via Express Entry within six months. The processing time for Express Entry, overall, was eight months. As an alternative measure of processing times, 60% of applications finalized in the 12-month period ending on December 31, 2019, were completed within the six-month service standard.
Table 35: Processing Times for Express Entry applications finalized by year and immigration category, in months
| Program | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | 4 | 5 | 7 |
| Federal Skilled Worker | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominee | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | 6 | 7 | 12 |
| All Programs | 5 | 5 | 8 |
Source: CIC_EDW (MBR) as of January 3, 2020
Data is operational and as such should be considered preliminary and subject to change.
- Processing times refer to the time in which 80% of applications were finalized by IRCC. The processing time is measured from the day a complete application is received until the time a final decision is made by an immigration officer.
