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Processing Times – Temporary Residents and Travel Documents

Please note:

The times listed below are not a guarantee of how long it will take to process your particular application. These times are to serve as an approximate guide only. Individual case processing times may be longer due to medical follow-up, missing, incomplete or inaccurate documentation or if an interview is required.
“Working days” are days when the Visa Office is open for business. Weekends and statutory holidays are not “working days,” therefore do not count them when calculating processing times. Please note that Visa Office holiday closures may differ from local holidays.
This visa office will not respond to case status enquiries within the normal processing times.
The applications will be processed in the order they are received.
Please note that temporary resident visa, study or work permit applicants who do not include a legible 2D barcode page as part of their application should expect longer processing times (for more information, please see 2D barcode page).
Information on processing times for temporary resident applications is available on the Application Processing Times page of the CIC website.

Delivery time

The Manila visa office uses the services of a Visa Application Centre (PIASI) to expedite processing of applications. For temporary resident applications submitted through the PIASI Call Centre, the PIASI Call Centre may respond to questions regarding the movement of an application from PIASI to the Embassy and back to PIASI. The PIASI Call Centre is also able to answer general questions on how to submit an application at their offices.

Applicants residing within Metro Manila should allow 2 days for delivery of the application to our office and 2 days for the return delivery of the application results.
Applicants residing outside Metro Manila should allow 3 days for delivery of the application to our office and 3 days for the return delivery of the application results.

The below processing times apply to applications submitted via the PIASI Call Centre. Applicants submitting Temporary Resident applications directly to our office (by mail or drop box) should allow 2 additional weeks.

Estimated response times for the Manila visa office

Below is some additional information which is specific to the Manila visa office, including estimated times for an applicant to receive an initial response from the Canadian Embassy. An initial response may be one of the following:

Approval
Refusal
Request for further documents or information
Request to await further contact from the Visa Office
Request to undergo medical exams (see when medical exams are usually required and additional estimated processing times for medical examination below)
Request to attend a personal interview. Personal interviews may be requested for any type of application. Our office makes every effort to ensure that interview appointments take place as soon as possible. Seasonal changes in the volume of applications may have an effect on availability of interview times. Applicants are advised to apply well in advance of their planned travel date.

Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa)
Temporary Resident Visa (Study Permit)
Temporary Work Permit
Live-in Caregiver Work Permit
Travel Document for Permanent Resident
Delivery time
Medical examination results: Processing Times

Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa)

Average Processing Time*
Initial Response	15 working days plus delivery time
Finalization	Please consult our actual processing times for temporary resident applications in Manila for the last 12 months.

It is recommended to submit the application 2 months before the intended departure date.

Please be aware that processing delays may occur if a medical examination, an interview or additional documents are required.

Temporary Resident Visa (Study Permit)

Average Processing Time*
Initial Response	15 working days plus delivery time
Finalization	Please consult our actual processing times for study permit applications in Manila for the last 12 months.

It is recommended to submit the application 2 months before the intended departure date.

Please be aware that processing delays may occur if a medical examination, an interview or additional documents are required. If provisionally accepted, medical examinations are usually required; see the average medical processing times.

Temporary Resident Visa (Work Permit except for Live-in Caregivers)

Average Processing Time*
Initial Response	15 days
Finalization	Within 12 weeks

If provisionally accepted, medical examinations are usually required; see the average medical processing times.

Live-in Caregiver Work Permit

Average Processing Time*
Initial Response	15 weeks
Finalization	20 months

A letter acknowledging receipt of the application will be sent to the applicant. This letter will provide the file number, confirm the date the application was received and may contain requests for documents to be provided upfront. The file is then queued for review.

If provisionally accepted, medical examinations are usually required; see the average medical processing times.

Travel Document for Permanent Resident

Average Processing Time*
Initial Response	5 working days plus delivery time

Please be aware that processing delays may occur if an interview or additional documents are required.

Medical Examination Results: Processing Times

Average processing time*
Cases where only a first medical examination is required	15 working days (3 weeks) from the date of medical examination
Cases where a further, more detailed medical examination is required	4 months or more from the date of medical examination

Please be reminded that some exceptional medical conditions may warrant up to 6-8 months of follow-up prior to a final medical decision.

* These are approximate processing times only. Some applications take longer to process for various reasons. For example, the following factors could delay the processing of your application:

applications which do not include a legible 2D barcode;
incomplete applications;
medical exam required;
background or security checks required;
criminal record;
interview required;
verification of documents needed; or
other factors that complicate your case.

Barcode page

Completing the temporary resident visa, study and work permit forms electronically (typing the information) is easier and reduces the risk of errors that can slow down the application process.

Once the application is completed electronically, click on the “Validate” button located at the top or bottom of the form and print your application form. This will generate a barcode* page (page 5 of 5). When submitting your application, to ensure your encoded data is captured, you must include the last page (page 5 of 5 of your completed application form) which contains your unique barcodes.

*See image below:

Barcode example