Work permit · applying from Hong Kong SAR
Canada work permit processing time from Hong Kong SAR
A work permit lets you work in Canada. This figure is for work permits applied for from outside Canada.
Current processing time
16 weeks
about 3½ 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 February 13, 2027.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 work permit applications from Hong Kong SAR were decided within 16 weeks, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are getting longer. The figure was 11 weeks in July.
- The wait from Hong Kong SAR is longer than in 90% of the other 60 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 7 weeks.
- Since 2018, the figure has ranged from 9 weeks (September 2018) to 24 weeks (October 2023).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for work permit applications from Hong Kong SAR at each update.
In weeks. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2026 | 16 weeks | +2 weeks |
| October 14, 2026 | 14 weeks | −2 weeks |
| October 7, 2026 | 16 weeks | −3 weeks |
| October 1, 2026 | 19 weeks | +3 weeks |
| September 22, 2026 | 16 weeks | −1 week |
| August 19, 2026 | 17 weeks | +6 weeks |
| July 22, 2026 | 11 weeks | −5 weeks |
| July 7, 2026 | 16 weeks | +5 weeks |
| March 12, 2025 | 11 weeks | −1 week |
| May 28, 2024 | 12 weeks | −12 weeks |
| October 31, 2023 | 24 weeks | +7 weeks |
| October 24, 2023 | 17 weeks | +6 weeks |
| September 6, 2022 | 11 weeks | −1 week |
| August 16, 2022 | 12 weeks | +1 week |
| August 9, 2022 | 11 weeks | −1 week |
| July 26, 2022 | 12 weeks | −1 week |
| July 19, 2022 | 13 weeks | −1 week |
| July 12, 2022 | 14 weeks | −1 week |
| June 28, 2022 | 15 weeks | +1 week |
| June 21, 2022 | 14 weeks | −1 week |
| June 15, 2022 | 15 weeks | −1 week |
| May 24, 2022 | 16 weeks | −1 week |
| May 11, 2022 | 17 weeks | +4 weeks |
| March 22, 2022 | 13 weeks | +1 week |
| January 18, 2022 | 12 weeks | −7 weeks |
| February 2, 2021 | 19 weeks | +10 weeks |
| September 4, 2018 | 9 weeks | first figure |
How Hong Kong SAR compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 61 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 work permit application from Hong Kong SAR take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 16 weeks (about 3½ months). That means 8 in 10 recent work permit applications from Hong Kong SAR were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Hong Kong SAR getting shorter?
Waits are getting longer. The figure was 11 weeks in July.
How does Hong Kong SAR compare with other countries?
The wait from Hong Kong SAR is longer than in 90% of the other 60 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 7 weeks. The shortest right now is Guatemala (1 week) and the longest is Iran (57 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.