Work permit · applying from Japan
Canada work permit processing time from Japan
A work permit lets you work in Canada. This figure is for work permits applied for from outside Canada.
Current processing time
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 work permit applications from Japan were decided within 3 weeks, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are steady. The figure was 3 weeks in July.
- The wait from Japan is shorter than in 85% of the other 60 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 7 weeks.
- Since 2018, the figure has ranged from 2 weeks (September 2018) to 27 weeks (July 2022).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for work permit applications from Japan at each update.
In weeks. Each point is an IRCC update. Lower means a shorter wait.
Every published figure
| IRCC update | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2026 | 3 weeks | −1 week |
| March 12, 2025 | 4 weeks | −9 weeks |
| May 28, 2024 | 13 weeks | −1 week |
| October 31, 2023 | 14 weeks | +3 weeks |
| October 24, 2023 | 11 weeks | −7 weeks |
| September 6, 2022 | 18 weeks | −1 week |
| August 16, 2022 | 19 weeks | −2 weeks |
| August 9, 2022 | 21 weeks | +1 week |
| August 2, 2022 | 20 weeks | +1 week |
| July 26, 2022 | 19 weeks | −7 weeks |
| July 19, 2022 | 26 weeks | −1 week |
| July 12, 2022 | 27 weeks | +7 weeks |
| June 28, 2022 | 20 weeks | +1 week |
| June 21, 2022 | 19 weeks | +3 weeks |
| June 15, 2022 | 16 weeks | +1 week |
| June 8, 2022 | 15 weeks | +4 weeks |
| May 24, 2022 | 11 weeks | −1 week |
| May 17, 2022 | 12 weeks | −1 week |
| March 1, 2022 | 13 weeks | +2 weeks |
| February 1, 2022 | 11 weeks | +2 weeks |
| January 25, 2022 | 9 weeks | +1 week |
| January 18, 2022 | 8 weeks | −1 week |
| February 2, 2021 | 9 weeks | +7 weeks |
| September 4, 2018 | 2 weeks | first figure |
How Japan compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 61 countries with a figure.
Other applications from Japan
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 Japan take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 3 weeks. That means 8 in 10 recent work permit applications from Japan were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Japan getting shorter?
Waits are steady. The figure was 3 weeks in July.
How does Japan compare with other countries?
The wait from Japan is shorter than in 85% 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.