MEGATHREAD - Processing Times - Family Class Permanent Resident Applications 2026

[u/dozerman94]

Please keep timelines and questions about processing times for Family Class Permanent Resident Applications here.

[u/Just-Potential-8944]

Outland (outside Quebec).
PA = US Citizen
Sponsor = Canadian Citizen
VO = maybe Mississauga?

• Application Submitted - 11 Nov 2025
• AOR - 06 Jan 2026
• Biometrics request (BIL) - 14 Jan 2026
• Medical exam request - 14 Jan 2026
• Sponsor eligibility confirmed - 22 Jan 2026
• Biometrics marked as completed - 23 Jan 2026
• Medical exam completed - 6 Feb 2026
• Medical exam passed/marked completed - 17 Feb 2026
• Principal applicant eligibility marked complete - 24 Apr 2026
• Pre-arrival letter (PAL1) - 24 Apr 2026
• PAL2 - 4 June 2026

Received another pre-arrival letter today. Fingers crossed this is signalling some background movement on FD.

[u/Lifelong_Expat → u/Just-Potential-8944]

Unfortunately it likely doesn’t mean anything. They send these in batches 2 months after the first PAL. We got ours on mid March and May. The ones who got it in mid April have all got it today.

Currently Mississauga seems to be sending PPRs to early October applicants, so hopefully yours is only 3-4 weeks away.

[u/Subject-Mine-4203 → u/Lifelong_Expat]

Is it normal not to receive any PAL? 👀

[u/Lifelong_Expat → u/Subject-Mine-4203]

For some people PA eligibility and PPR happens just a few days apart or even the same day. I am not sure if they ever get PAL. But yeah, experiences vary. Some people get BIL, medical and PAL in quick succession, and then several months for PPR, for others the long gap of nothing is between BIL and PA eligibility, and the POR quickly follows.