Current wait times

🇨🇦 Canada Visa Processing Times

Typical processing times from each East African city — covering both the time to get an appointment and the time for the embassy to process your application after submission.

Processing times are estimates based on reported patterns. Actual times vary significantly with staffing, season, and individual case complexity. Always add 2–4 weeks buffer and never book non-refundable travel until your visa is in hand.

TRVTourist / Visitor

Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor)

City	Processing time	Appointment wait	Note
🇰🇪 Nairobi	28–84 days	No interview required for most applicants — online application	Canada processes most East African TRV applications online without an interview. Biometrics appointment required if not already on file.
🇷🇼 Kigali	28–84 days	Biometrics only — no interview	Rwanda applicants apply online and visit a biometrics collection point.
🇺🇬 Kampala	28–84 days	Biometrics only — no interview	Uganda applicants apply online. VFS Uganda collects biometrics.

Peak season: Processing times increase significantly in Q4 (Oct–Dec). Holiday-season applications can take 10–12 weeks.

Fast track: IRCC does not offer paid expedited processing for TRV. Travel history and financial strength are the best ways to reduce processing time.

Last updated: 2025-05

Study PermitStudent

Student Study Permit

City	Processing time	Appointment wait	Note
🇰🇪 Nairobi	42–112 days	Online application — biometrics required	Student Direct Stream (SDS) is NOT available for East African nationals. Standard processing applies. Apply minimum 3 months before your programme start date.

Peak season: Apply by November for September intake. January intake applications should be in by August.

Fast track: No paid expedited option available.

Last updated: 2025-05

Plan your application timeline

Use the timeline calculator to build a week-by-week schedule based on your travel date and these processing times.

Open timeline calculator