Privately sponsored refugees · applying from Ethiopia
Canada privately sponsored refugee processing time from Ethiopia
Refugees resettled in Canada with the support of a private sponsor group.
Current processing time
26 months
IRCC figure, update of October 21, 2026. Check IRCC's tool
If you apply today
If IRCC keeps this pace, 8 in 10 applications sent today would be decided by about December 2028.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 privately sponsored refugee cases from Ethiopia were decided within 26 months, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are getting longer. The figure was 24 months in July.
- The wait from Ethiopia is shorter than in 53% of the other 17 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 27 months.
- Since 2022, the figure has ranged from 24 months (July 2026) to 39 months (March 2025).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for privately sponsored refugee cases from Ethiopia at each update.
In months. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2026 | 26 months | +1 month |
| September 22, 2026 | 25 months | +1 month |
| July 7, 2026 | 24 months | −15 months |
| March 12, 2025 | 39 months | +2 months |
| May 28, 2024 | 37 months | −2 months |
| October 24, 2023 | 39 months | +6 months |
| September 6, 2022 | 33 months | +2 months |
| August 2, 2022 | 31 months | +1 month |
| May 11, 2022 | 30 months | first figure |
How Ethiopia compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 18 countries with a figure.
Other applications from Ethiopia
What does this number mean?
It looks back, not forward
IRCC's figure is how long it took to decide 8 in 10 of the applications of this kind that it finished recently. The other 2 in 10 took longer.
The clock starts with a complete application
It counts from the day IRCC had a complete application to the day it made a decision.
It changes often
IRCC revises the figure regularly, usually every week. A single application can be faster or slower.
Common questions
How long does a privately sponsored refugee application from Ethiopia take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 26 months. That means 8 in 10 recent privately sponsored refugee cases from Ethiopia were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Ethiopia getting shorter?
Waits are getting longer. The figure was 24 months in July.
How does Ethiopia compare with other countries?
The wait from Ethiopia is shorter than in 53% of the other 17 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 27 months. The shortest right now is Kenya (16 months) and the longest is Djibouti (38 months).
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.