Nigerians applying for Canadian study permits and visitor visas now face longer estimated waiting periods following an update by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Figures published on 16 September 2026 show that the estimated processing time for study permit applications submitted from Nigeria has increased from nine weeks to 10 weeks.
The visitor visa estimate has also risen from 84 days to 87 days, adding three days to the expected waiting period for Nigerian applicants.
Canada updates its temporary residence processing estimates regularly to reflect application volumes, available processing capacity and other operational factors.
Super visa estimate also rises
Nigerians applying for a super visa are also affected by the latest changes. The estimated processing time for this category has increased from 44 days to 46 days.
The super visa allows eligible parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to remain in Canada for extended periods during each visit. It is different from an ordinary visitor visa and has additional eligibility and insurance requirements.
The processing estimate for work permit applications submitted from Nigeria remains unchanged at 10 weeks.
The latest figures for Nigerian applicants are:
- Study permit: 10 weeks, up from nine weeks
- Visitor visa: 87 days, up from 84 days
- Super visa: 46 days, up from 44 days
- Work permit: 10 weeks, unchanged
Processing times are not guaranteed
The published figures should not be treated as fixed deadlines. Canada’s official processing-time service explains that the estimates show how long it may take to process an application submitted at the time of checking.
An individual decision may arrive earlier or later than the published estimate.
Processing can take longer when an application is incomplete, requires additional verification or raises medical, criminal, security or admissibility questions. Delays may also occur if an applicant is asked to attend an interview or submit further documents, including a medical examination or police certificate.
The processing period generally begins when Canadian immigration authorities receive a complete application. For online applicants, this is usually the date the application is submitted electronically.
The estimate includes the time required to provide biometrics but does not include the time an applicant may spend preparing documents before submission.
What Nigerian applicants should consider
Prospective students should allow enough time between receiving admission and the expected start of their academic programme. A study permit application normally requires a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution and, where applicable, a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
Applicants should confirm that their forms, financial evidence and supporting documents are complete before submission. Missing or inconsistent information can result in requests for further evidence and extend the waiting period.
Visitors should also avoid treating their planned travel date as guaranteed until a decision has been issued. Purchasing non-refundable tickets before receiving a visa creates a financial risk if processing takes longer than expected.
People who have already submitted applications should use Canada’s official application-status service for information about their individual cases. The general processing-time estimate does not provide an exact decision date for an existing application.
Different countries face different waits
Canadian processing estimates vary according to the country from which an application is submitted.
In the same September update, the study permit estimate remained at five weeks for applicants in India and the Philippines, seven weeks for Pakistan and six weeks for the United States.
Visitor visa estimates also differed considerably. Nigeria’s estimate stood at 87 days, compared with 75 days for Pakistan, 29 days for India, 21 days for the Philippines and 16 days for the United States.
These differences do not determine whether an application will be approved. They reflect processing conditions for applications submitted from each country.
For Nigerians planning to study, work or visit relatives in Canada, the latest increases make early preparation more important. However, applicants should continue checking the official Canadian immigration website because the estimates can rise or fall with each update.
