A ghost update is merely a movement in your file. To know what exactly they are, you need to refer to your GCMS notes and also remember the date you had them to match them. However, the ghost update can be a mundane movement from initiating your BGC or a major one, as getting final approval.
In conclusion, any movement is a good sign.
What you should check is what stage your application is at. All application go through the following:
R10
Criminality
Medicals
Eligibility
Security
To read on stages of an EE see
https://bit.ly/3oXojih
You can send a webform and ask
https://bit.ly/3bPQo7t, call IRCC or request your GCMS notes.
As per IRCC's annual 2019 annual report it takes 8-9 months for an application to process.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2019.html
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.
