ICT wait times by country right now
As of IRCC’s October 14, 2026 update, a work permit application filed from outside Canada takes about 6 weeks from the United States, 4 weeks from the United Kingdom and 11 weeks from India. Those are IRCC’s posted averages, not deadlines, and they change every week.
The posted figure is only part of the story. US and UK citizens can often skip the online queue and get an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) work permit at the Canadian border. Indian citizens cannot, and usually need biometrics and an immigration medical exam first, which IRCC does not count in its posted time. This article compares the three countries and shows how to plan around each. For eligibility, the ICT categories and the October 2024 rule changes, start with our Intra-Company Transfer work permit guide.
Key takeaways
- IRCC’s posted times (October 14, 2026): United States 6 weeks, United Kingdom 4 weeks, India 11 weeks.
- The posted time depends on where you apply from, not your citizenship, and it does not include biometrics or medical exams.
- US and UK citizens can usually apply at a port of entry, where a decision is often made the same day.
- Indian citizens must apply online and should plan for biometrics and an upfront medical exam.
- If the role is TEER 0 or 1, the Global Skills Strategy may cut processing to about 2 weeks for a complete online application.
What are the current ICT processing times for the US, UK and India?
The table below compares the three countries side by side. The processing times come from the IRCC processing times tool for a work permit applied for from outside Canada, last updated October 14, 2026.
| United States | United Kingdom | India | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRCC posted time (applying from) | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Visa or eTA | Neither needed | eTA (issued with the permit if you apply online) | Visitor visa (issued with the permit) |
| Apply at the border? | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible | No, online only |
| Biometrics | Not required for US nationals | Required (CAN$85) | Required (CAN$85) |
| Medical exam (stay over 6 months) | Not usually required | Not usually required | Usually required |
| Treaty ICT option | CUSMA | Canada–UK Trade Continuity Agreement | None in force |
| 2-week GSS processing | Possible if eligible | Possible if eligible | Possible if eligible |
Source: IRCC processing times tool, updated October 14, 2026. Times are averages, not a maximum or a guarantee. Medical exam rules depend on where you have lived, not only your citizenship.
Why do ICT processing times differ by country?
IRCC does not process every country at the same speed. Each application goes to an office with its own workload, and the posted time reflects how long it took to finish most complete applications from that country in recent weeks.
Four factors drive most of the difference you see between the US, UK and India.
-
Where you apply from
The IRCC tool asks where you are applying from, not your citizenship. An Indian citizen living in the UK is measured against the UK figure, though the officer still looks at the full file.
-
Visa-exempt or visa-required
US and UK citizens are visa-exempt, so they can apply at the border. Indian citizens need a visitor visa, which IRCC issues with the work permit, and they must apply online.
-
Steps outside the posted time
IRCC’s figure starts when it receives a complete application and stops at a decision. It does not count the time to give biometrics or to send documents between a visa application centre and the visa office.
-
Medical exams
If you will stay more than 6 months and you lived in a listed country, such as India, for 6 months in a row in the past year, you need an immigration medical exam. Booking the exam and waiting for results adds time if you leave it until after you apply.
How long does an ICT take if you apply from the United States?
IRCC posted 6 weeks for work permits applied for from the United States on October 14, 2026. That figure has moved quickly: in late August 2026 it was 2 weeks. If you apply online, plan for the current number and check it again before you file.
Most US-based transferees do not use the online queue at all. US citizens are visa-exempt, so they can apply for an ICT work permit at a port of entry (a land border or airport) when they arrive. The Canadian employer first submits the job offer and pays the compliance fee through the IRCC Employer Portal, which produces the offer of employment number the transferee brings to the border.
At the border, a Canada Border Services Agency officer decides the application on the spot. In our practice, a well-prepared US file is usually decided the same day. US citizens can also apply under CUSMA, the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, which has its own ICT rules. Our CUSMA work permit guide covers that route.
Border does not mean easier
The officer at the port of entry applies the same ICT rules as a visa office. You need the full file in hand: corporate documents, proof of the relationship between the companies, the job offer and your employment history. A refused border application can be harder to fix than an online one, because you are standing at the counter with no time to add evidence.
How long does an ICT take if you apply from the United Kingdom?
IRCC posted 4 weeks for work permits applied for from the United Kingdom on October 14, 2026, the fastest of the three countries in this comparison.
UK citizens are also visa-exempt, so they can choose between applying online and applying at a port of entry. If you fly to Canada and plan to apply at the airport, you still need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to board the flight. If you apply online, IRCC issues the eTA with the work permit approval.
Unlike US citizens, UK citizens must give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) for an ICT work permit. If you apply online, book your appointment at a UK visa application centre as soon as you receive the biometric instruction letter. Biometrics you gave in the last 10 years may still be valid. UK citizens can also apply under the Canada–UK Trade Continuity Agreement, which carries the ICT terms of Canada’s agreement with the EU (CETA) into the UK relationship.
How long does an ICT take if you apply from India?
IRCC posted 11 weeks for work permits applied for from India on October 14, 2026, up from 9 weeks in late August. India is a visa-required country, so you cannot apply at the border. You must apply online, and IRCC issues the visitor visa together with the work permit approval.
India also has no free trade agreement with Canada in force. Canada and India are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and aim to finish talks by the end of 2026, but nothing has been signed. For now, most Indian transferees apply under the general ICT categories described in our ICT work permit guide.
The real timeline from India is usually longer than 11 weeks because of steps IRCC does not count, including an upfront medical exam for applicants who lived in a country on IRCC’s medical exam list. Plan for these:
-
Upfront medical exam
India is on IRCC’s medical exam list. If you lived there for 6 months in a row in the past year and will stay more than 6 months, book a panel physician before you apply so the results are on file.
-
Biometrics
Give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre after IRCC sends your instruction letter. The fee is CAN$85 per person, or CAN$170 for a family applying together.
-
Passport submission
After approval, you send your passport to a visa application centre for the visa counterfoil. Courier and handling add several days.
-
Family applications
A spouse and children should apply at the same time. Separate filings can split the family’s timelines.
Can the Global Skills Strategy cut the wait to 2 weeks?
Yes, for some ICT applicants. Under the Global Skills Strategy (GSS), IRCC aims to process eligible work permit applications within 2 weeks. That target applies to applicants from the US, UK and India alike, which makes it most valuable for Indian transferees facing the longest posted time.
For an LMIA-exempt job such as an ICT, you must meet all of these conditions:
-
TEER 0 or 1 role
The job must fall under TEER 0 (management) or TEER 1 (university-level) of the National Occupational Classification. Most executive and senior manager transfers qualify.
-
Employer Portal steps done
The Canadian employer must submit the offer of employment and pay the compliance fee through the Employer Portal, unless exempt.
-
Online, from outside Canada
Border applications and in-Canada applications are not GSS applications.
-
Complete file, biometrics within 2 weeks
IRCC treats incomplete applications as non-GSS. Biometrics must be given within 2 weeks of applying, and any required medical exam should be done upfront.
What GSS does not promise
Two weeks is IRCC’s service target, not a guarantee. A request for more documents or an interview takes the file off the fast track. Family members get GSS processing only if they apply at the same time as the worker. See how this worked for one of our clients in this specialized knowledge GSS success story.
What slows an ICT application down?
Most ICT delays come from the file, not the queue. Since IRCC tightened its ICT instructions in October 2024, officers ask more often for proof of the company relationship, the Canadian premises and the business plan. Each request restarts the clock on your side. Our article on the new ICT rules explains what officers now look for.
Incomplete application
Why it happens
A missing corporate document, translation or form means IRCC cannot start, or the file loses GSS priority.
How to plan for it
Use the visa office instructions as a checklist and translate documents before you file.
Request for more evidence
Why it happens
The officer is not satisfied on ownership links, the Canadian office or the wage.
How to plan for it
Answer the likely questions in the first submission, especially for a new Canadian office.
Biometrics and medicals
Why it happens
Appointments are booked after you apply, and IRCC's posted time does not count them.
How to plan for it
Do the medical upfront and book biometrics the day the instruction letter arrives.
Weekly swings
Why it happens
Posted times follow each office's workload. The US figure tripled between August and October 2026.
How to plan for it
Build a buffer of several weeks into the start date and recheck the tool before filing.
How should you plan your transfer date around processing times?
Work back from the date you need the transferee in Canada. These four steps apply to all three countries.
Decide whether the transferee can apply at the border, online through GSS, or online under regular processing. Citizenship, country of residence and the role’s TEER level decide this.
Incorporate and set up the Canadian entity, secure the premises and complete the Employer Portal steps. Without the offer of employment number, no route can start.
For India, add time for the medical exam, biometrics and passport submission. For the UK, add time for biometrics if you apply online.
Look at the IRCC tool the week you file, and keep a buffer for an officer’s request for more documents.
Questions about ICT processing times
Where you apply from. The IRCC tool asks for the country you are applying from. An Indian citizen living legally in the UK sees the UK figure, but still needs a visitor visa and cannot apply at the border.
No. India is a visa-required country, and IRCC does not allow people who need a visitor visa to apply for a work permit at a port of entry. Indian citizens must apply online.
No. IRCC’s posted time starts when it receives a complete application and ends with a decision. It does not include the time to give biometrics or to move documents between a visa application centre and the visa office.
Often the same day, if the file is complete and the officer is satisfied. The officer applies the same ICT rules as a visa office, so a weak file can still be refused at the border.
No. It is IRCC’s service target for complete online applications in TEER 0 or 1 roles. A request for more documents, an interview or a missing medical exam can take the application off the 2-week track.
Final thoughts
On paper, the UK is fastest at 4 weeks, the US is at 6 weeks and India is at 11 weeks. In practice, US and UK transferees can often get a decision at the border, while Indian transferees should add several weeks to the posted 11 weeks for medicals, biometrics and passport handling, unless the role qualifies for 2-week GSS processing.
Whichever country your transferee comes from, the file matters more than the queue. A complete, well-evidenced application avoids the requests that turn weeks into months. For the full picture on eligibility, categories, permit length and permanent residence, read our Intra-Company Transfer work permit guide, or see how we handle staff transfers to Canada for larger teams.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Processing times change weekly; check the IRCC tool or speak with a lawyer about your situation.
