Canada Visa Wait

Permanent residence · Business and caregivers

Self-employed persons processing time

For self-employed people with experience in cultural activities or athletics.

Estimated wait for a new application

more than10 years

● About the same as in July

IRCC estimate, update of October 9, 2026. Check IRCC's tool

Already waiting

about 8,000 people

● About the same as in July

If you apply today

A new application sent today would be decided around October 2036, if IRCC's estimate holds.

Already applied?

Choose the month you applied. IRCC estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left.

People ahead of you–
Time left–
See every month in a table
Applied inPeople ahead of youTime left
September 2026about 8,00010 years left
August 2026about 8,00010 years left
July 2026about 8,00010 years left
June 2026about 8,00010 years left
May 2026about 8,00010 years left
April 2026about 8,00010 years left
March 2026about 8,00010 years left
February 2026about 8,00010 years left
January 2026about 8,00010 years left
December 2025about 8,00010 years left
November 2025about 8,00010 years left
October 2025about 8,00010 years left
September 2025about 8,00010 years left
August 2025about 8,00010 years left
July 2025about 8,00010 years left
June 2025about 8,00010 years left
May 2025about 8,00010 years left
April 2025about 8,00010 years left
March 2025about 8,00010 years left
February 2025about 8,00010 years left
January 2025about 8,00010 years left
December 2024about 8,00010 years left
November 2024about 8,00010 years left
October 2024about 8,00010 years left
September 2024about 8,00010 years left
August 2024about 8,00010 years left
July 2024about 8,00010 years left
June 2024about 8,00010 years left
May 2024about 8,00010 years left
April 2024about 8,00010 years left
March 2024about 7,40010 years left
February 2024about 7,20010 years left
January 2024about 7,00010 years left
December 2023about 6,80010 years left
November 2023about 6,50010 years left
October 2023about 6,20010 years left
September 2023about 6,00010 years left
August 2023about 5,70010 years left
July 2023about 5,30010 years left
June 2023about 5,10010 years left
May 2023about 4,80010 years left
April 2023about 4,50010 years left
March 2023about 4,30010 years left
February 2023about 4,00010 years left
January 2023about 3,80010 years left
December 2022about 3,40010 years left
November 2022about 3,200112 months left
October 2022about 2,900104 months left
September 2022about 2,70096 months left
August 2022about 2,50089 months left
July 2022about 2,20081 months left
June 2022about 2,00074 months left
May 2022about 1,80068 months left
April 2022about 1,70064 months left
March 2022about 1,60058 months left
February 2022about 1,40054 months left
January 2022about 1,30050 months left
December 2021about 1,20046 months left
November 2021about 1,10042 months left
October 2021about 90038 months left
September 2021about 80035 months left
August 2021about 70031 months left
July 2021about 60026 months left
June 2021about 50024 months left
May 2021about 40021 months left
April 2021about 40019 months left
March 2021about 400IRCC says it needs more time
February 2021about 30017 months left
January 2021about 30016 months left
December 2020about 300IRCC says it needs more time
November 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
October 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
September 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
August 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
July 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
June 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
May 2020about 200IRCC says it needs more time
April 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2019about 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2018about 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2017about 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2016about 100IRCC says it needs more time

In plain English

  • IRCC estimates a new application would take more than 10 years.
  • About 8,000 people are already waiting for a decision.
  • The estimate is about the same as in July.

How the estimate has changed

Each point is an IRCC update.

More in Business and caregivers

All programs
Start-up Visamore than 10 yearsabout 47,500 waiting● SteadyCaregiversabout 77 monthsabout 36,400 waiting● Steady

What does this estimate mean?

1

It looks ahead

IRCC estimates how long a new application would take, based on how many people are already waiting and how many decisions it plans to make.

2

“Waiting” is IRCC's own count

The number of people waiting is IRCC's rounded count of applications in the queue.

3

Already applied?

IRCC also estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left, by when you applied.

Common questions

How long does a self-employed persons application take?

IRCC's latest estimate, from October 9, 2026, is more than 10 years for a new application.

How many people are waiting?

About 8,000 people are waiting, by IRCC's count of October 9, 2026.

I already applied. How long is left for me?

IRCC estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left, by the month you applied. Choose your month in the “Already applied?” box above.

Is this an official government website?

No. Canada Visa Wait is an independent site and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. The figures are IRCC's own. Before you rely on a date, check IRCC's official processing-times tool.

All published figures

Every published estimate
IRCC updateFigureChange
October 9, 2025more than 10 yearsfirst figure
Every published count of people waiting
IRCC updateFigureChange
July 7, 2026about 8,000−100
February 12, 2026about 8,100−100
December 9, 2025about 8,200−300
November 6, 2025about 8,500−100
October 9, 2025about 8,600–

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