1. No, the status bar you see just shows time elapsed, and not the actual processing.
Also, as per IRCC's annual 2019 annual report it takes 8-9 months for an application to process. This was pre-COVID
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.
2. Currently you have to be an immediate family member to be exempt from travel restrictions, and for exerted family members, you need an authorisation to travel. But this is only after your get your COPR, not before.