Privately sponsored refugees · applying from South Africa
Canada privately sponsored refugee processing time from South Africa
Refugees resettled in Canada with the support of a private sponsor group.
Current processing time
36 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 October 2029.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 privately sponsored refugee cases from South Africa were decided within 36 months, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are steady. The figure was 34 months in July.
- The wait from South Africa is longer than in 94% of the other 17 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 27 months.
- Since 2022, the figure has ranged from 32 months (July 2022) to 45 months (May 2024).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for privately sponsored refugee cases from South Africa 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 | 36 months | +2 months |
| September 22, 2026 | 34 months | +1 month |
| August 19, 2026 | 33 months | −1 month |
| July 7, 2026 | 34 months | −7 months |
| March 12, 2025 | 41 months | −4 months |
| May 28, 2024 | 45 months | +4 months |
| October 24, 2023 | 41 months | +6 months |
| August 2, 2022 | 35 months | +3 months |
| July 12, 2022 | 32 months | – |
| May 11, 2022 | not enough data | first figure |
How South Africa 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 South Africa take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 36 months. That means 8 in 10 recent privately sponsored refugee cases from South Africa were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from South Africa getting shorter?
Waits are steady. The figure was 34 months in July.
How does South Africa compare with other countries?
The wait from South Africa is longer than in 94% 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.