Study permit · applying from United States of America
Canada study permit processing time from United States of America
A study permit lets you study at a school, college or university in Canada, usually for a program longer than six months.
Current processing time
5 weeks
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 28, 2026.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 study permit applications from United States of America were decided within 5 weeks, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are steady. The figure was 5 weeks in July.
- The wait from United States of America is shorter than in 54% of the other 91 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 6 weeks.
- Since 2018, the figure has ranged from 3 weeks (June 2022) to 17 weeks (February 2021).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for study permit applications from United States of America at each update.
In weeks. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 14, 2026 | 5 weeks | −1 week |
| October 7, 2026 | 6 weeks | +1 week |
| October 1, 2026 | 5 weeks | −1 week |
| September 22, 2026 | 6 weeks | +1 week |
| May 28, 2024 | 5 weeks | −1 week |
| October 24, 2023 | 6 weeks | −4 weeks |
| September 6, 2022 | 10 weeks | +4 weeks |
| August 30, 2022 | 6 weeks | +1 week |
| August 23, 2022 | 5 weeks | +1 week |
| August 16, 2022 | 4 weeks | +1 week |
| June 21, 2022 | 3 weeks | −1 week |
| May 24, 2022 | 4 weeks | −3 weeks |
| May 17, 2022 | 7 weeks | −1 week |
| May 11, 2022 | 8 weeks | −3 weeks |
| February 8, 2022 | 11 weeks | +1 week |
| January 18, 2022 | 10 weeks | −7 weeks |
| February 2, 2021 | 17 weeks | +13 weeks |
| September 4, 2018 | 4 weeks | first figure |
How United States of America compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 92 countries with a figure.
Other applications from United States of America
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 study permit application from United States of America take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 5 weeks. That means 8 in 10 recent study permit applications from United States of America were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from United States of America getting shorter?
Waits are steady. The figure was 5 weeks in July.
How does United States of America compare with other countries?
The wait from United States of America is shorter than in 54% of the other 91 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 6 weeks. The shortest right now is Denmark (2 weeks) and the longest is Iran (21 weeks).
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.