Visitor visa · applying from Costa Rica
Canada visitor visa processing time from Costa Rica
A visitor visa lets you come to Canada for a holiday, to see family or for a short business trip, if your passport needs one.
Current processing time
21 days
about 3 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 14, 2026.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 visitor visa applications from Costa Rica were decided within 21 days, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are steady. The figure was 21 days in July.
- The wait from Costa Rica is shorter than in 80% of the other 169 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 38 days.
- Since 2018, the figure has ranged from 11 days (September 2018) to 281 days (February 2021).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for visitor visa applications from Costa Rica at each update.
In days. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2026 | 21 days | +1 day |
| August 19, 2026 | 20 days | −1 day |
| July 22, 2026 | 21 days | +4 days |
| July 7, 2026 | 17 days | −138 days |
| March 12, 2025 | 155 days | +121 days |
| May 28, 2024 | 34 days | −78 days |
| October 31, 2023 | 112 days | −1 day |
| October 24, 2023 | 113 days | +43 days |
| August 23, 2022 | 70 days | −11 days |
| August 2, 2022 | 81 days | +1 day |
| June 28, 2022 | 80 days | +3 days |
| June 21, 2022 | 77 days | +6 days |
| June 15, 2022 | 71 days | +16 days |
| June 8, 2022 | 55 days | +6 days |
| June 1, 2022 | 49 days | +3 days |
| May 24, 2022 | 46 days | +6 days |
| May 17, 2022 | 40 days | +3 days |
| May 11, 2022 | 37 days | +4 days |
| March 22, 2022 | 33 days | −24 days |
| March 16, 2022 | 57 days | +1 day |
| March 8, 2022 | 56 days | −1 day |
| March 1, 2022 | 57 days | −6 days |
| February 8, 2022 | 63 days | +1 day |
| February 1, 2022 | 62 days | +6 days |
| January 25, 2022 | 56 days | +20 days |
| January 18, 2022 | 36 days | −245 days |
| February 2, 2021 | 281 days | +270 days |
| September 4, 2018 | 11 days | first figure |
How Costa Rica compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 170 countries with a figure.
Other applications from Costa Rica
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 visitor visa application from Costa Rica take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 21 days (about 3 weeks). That means 8 in 10 recent visitor visa applications from Costa Rica were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Costa Rica getting shorter?
Waits are steady. The figure was 21 days in July.
How does Costa Rica compare with other countries?
The wait from Costa Rica is shorter than in 80% of the other 169 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 38 days. The shortest right now is Palestine (Gaza) (1 day) and the longest is Eswatini (804 days).
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.