Privately sponsored refugees · applying from Saudi Arabia
Canada privately sponsored refugee processing time from Saudi Arabia
Refugees resettled in Canada with the support of a private sponsor group.
Current processing time
21 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 July 2028.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 privately sponsored refugee cases from Saudi Arabia were decided within 21 months, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are getting shorter. The figure was 23 months in July.
- The wait from Saudi Arabia is shorter than in 71% of the other 17 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 27 months.
- Since 2022, the figure has ranged from 21 months (September 2026) to 60 months (October 2023).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for privately sponsored refugee cases from Saudi Arabia at each update.
In months. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| September 22, 2026 | 21 months | −2 months |
| July 7, 2026 | 23 months | – |
| March 12, 2025 | not enough data | – |
| May 28, 2024 | 38 months | −22 months |
| October 24, 2023 | 60 months | +7 months |
| September 6, 2022 | 53 months | – |
| May 11, 2022 | not enough data | first figure |
How Saudi Arabia compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 18 countries with a figure.
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 Saudi Arabia take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 21 months. That means 8 in 10 recent privately sponsored refugee cases from Saudi Arabia were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Saudi Arabia getting shorter?
Waits are getting shorter. The figure was 23 months in July.
How does Saudi Arabia compare with other countries?
The wait from Saudi Arabia is shorter than in 71% 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.