Refugee sponsorship (sponsor's part) · applying from South Africa
Canada refugee sponsorship processing time from South Africa
The sponsor group's part of a private refugee sponsorship application.
Current processing time
25 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 November 2028.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 sponsor applications for private refugee sponsorships from South Africa were decided within 25 months, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are steady. The figure was 26 months in July.
- The wait from South Africa is shorter than in 80% of the other 15 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 26 months.
- Since 2022, the figure has ranged from 11 months (May 2022) to 26 months (October 2026).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for sponsor applications for private refugee sponsorships 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 | 25 months | −1 month |
| July 7, 2026 | 26 months | +5 months |
| March 12, 2025 | 21 months | +2 months |
| May 28, 2024 | 19 months | +2 months |
| October 24, 2023 | 17 months | +2 months |
| July 12, 2022 | 15 months | +1 month |
| June 1, 2022 | 14 months | +3 months |
| May 11, 2022 | 11 months | first figure |
How South Africa compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 16 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 refugee sponsorship application from South Africa take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 25 months. That means 8 in 10 recent sponsor applications for private refugee sponsorships 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 26 months in July.
How does South Africa compare with other countries?
The wait from South Africa is shorter than in 80% of the other 15 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 26 months. The shortest right now is Lebanon (1 month) and the longest is Zambia (28 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.