Work permit · applying from Sri Lanka
Canada work permit processing time from Sri Lanka
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 Sri Lanka were decided within 9 weeks, counted from the day IRCC had a complete application.
- Waits are getting longer. The figure was 7 weeks in July.
- The wait from Sri Lanka 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 3 weeks (February 2021) to 35 weeks (September 2022).
Is it getting faster or slower?
IRCC's figure for work permit applications from Sri Lanka 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 | 9 weeks | +1 week |
| October 14, 2026 | 8 weeks | −1 week |
| September 22, 2026 | 9 weeks | +1 week |
| August 19, 2026 | 8 weeks | +1 week |
| July 22, 2026 | 7 weeks | +1 week |
| July 7, 2026 | 6 weeks | −14 weeks |
| March 12, 2025 | 20 weeks | +2 weeks |
| May 28, 2024 | 18 weeks | +6 weeks |
| October 24, 2023 | 12 weeks | −23 weeks |
| August 16, 2022 | 35 weeks | +2 weeks |
| August 9, 2022 | 33 weeks | +4 weeks |
| July 26, 2022 | 29 weeks | +5 weeks |
| June 28, 2022 | 24 weeks | +1 week |
| June 15, 2022 | 23 weeks | +1 week |
| June 1, 2022 | 22 weeks | −1 week |
| May 24, 2022 | 23 weeks | +1 week |
| May 11, 2022 | 22 weeks | −3 weeks |
| March 16, 2022 | 25 weeks | +9 weeks |
| February 16, 2022 | 16 weeks | +1 week |
| February 8, 2022 | 15 weeks | +2 weeks |
| February 1, 2022 | 13 weeks | −1 week |
| January 25, 2022 | 14 weeks | −1 week |
| January 18, 2022 | 15 weeks | +12 weeks |
| February 2, 2021 | 3 weeks | −4 weeks |
| September 4, 2018 | 7 weeks | first figure |
How Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka were decided within that time. Some were faster and some took longer.
Is the wait from Sri Lanka getting shorter?
Waits are getting longer. The figure was 7 weeks in July.
How does Sri Lanka compare with other countries?
The wait from Sri Lanka 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.