Work permit · applying from Pakistan
Canada work permit processing time from Pakistan
A work permit lets you work in Canada. This figure is for work permits applied for from outside Canada.
Current processing time
9 weeks
about 2 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 December 26, 2026.
In plain English
- 8 in 10 work permit applications from Pakistan were decided within 9 weeks, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are getting shorter. The figure was 10 weeks in July.
- The wait from Pakistan is longer than in 58% of the other 60 countries IRCC lists. The typical (middle) country's figure is 7 weeks.
- Since 2018, the figure has ranged from 6 weeks (July 2026) to 51 weeks (August 2022).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for work permit applications from Pakistan 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 | 9 weeks | +1 week |
| September 22, 2026 | 8 weeks | +1 week |
| August 19, 2026 | 7 weeks | −3 weeks |
| July 22, 2026 | 10 weeks | +4 weeks |
| July 7, 2026 | 6 weeks | −3 weeks |
| March 12, 2025 | 9 weeks | −25 weeks |
| May 28, 2024 | 34 weeks | +3 weeks |
| October 31, 2023 | 31 weeks | −3 weeks |
| October 24, 2023 | 34 weeks | −8 weeks |
| September 6, 2022 | 42 weeks | +5 weeks |
| August 30, 2022 | 37 weeks | −2 weeks |
| August 23, 2022 | 39 weeks | −11 weeks |
| August 16, 2022 | 50 weeks | +2 weeks |
| August 9, 2022 | 48 weeks | −3 weeks |
| August 2, 2022 | 51 weeks | +2 weeks |
| July 26, 2022 | 49 weeks | +1 week |
| July 19, 2022 | 48 weeks | −1 week |
| July 12, 2022 | 49 weeks | +1 week |
| June 28, 2022 | 48 weeks | +3 weeks |
| June 21, 2022 | 45 weeks | +1 week |
| June 15, 2022 | 44 weeks | +2 weeks |
| June 8, 2022 | 42 weeks | +4 weeks |
| June 1, 2022 | 38 weeks | +1 week |
| May 24, 2022 | 37 weeks | +5 weeks |
| May 17, 2022 | 32 weeks | −3 weeks |
| May 11, 2022 | 35 weeks | −7 weeks |
| March 22, 2022 | 42 weeks | +1 week |
| March 16, 2022 | 41 weeks | −8 weeks |
| March 8, 2022 | 49 weeks | +12 weeks |
| March 1, 2022 | 37 weeks | +16 weeks |
| February 22, 2022 | 21 weeks | +2 weeks |
| February 16, 2022 | 19 weeks | −1 week |
| February 1, 2022 | 20 weeks | +3 weeks |
| January 18, 2022 | 17 weeks | −6 weeks |
| February 2, 2021 | 23 weeks | +2 weeks |
| September 4, 2018 | 21 weeks | first figure |
How Pakistan compares
Shorter bars mean shorter waits. The typical country is the middle of all 61 countries with a figure.
Other applications from Pakistan
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 Pakistan take?
IRCC's latest figure, from October 21, 2026, is 9 weeks (about 2 months). That means 8 in 10 recent work permit applications from Pakistan were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Pakistan getting shorter?
Waits are getting shorter. The figure was 10 weeks in July.
How does Pakistan compare with other countries?
The wait from Pakistan is longer than in 58% 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.