The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has launched the Visa Trend Tracker, a new public tool that monitors Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) published processing times for visitor visas and other entry permits. Updated weekly, the tracker compiles IRCC data into a clear record of system performance. It is available at Tourismcan.ca/visa-trend-tracker.

In 2025, international visitor spending contributed $132.9 billion to the Canadian economy. Efficient, secure, and predictable entry processes are essential to supporting Canada’s tourism sector, business travel, trade relationships, and broader economic growth.

The Visa Trend Tracker gives the tourism sector, policymakers, businesses, and the public a clearer picture of how Canada’s visitor visa system is performing over time. It highlights trends, inconsistencies, and gaps between IRCC’s 14-day service standard and actual processing times.

Long and unpredictable visitor visa processing times undermine tourism growth and Canada’s international competitiveness. As Canada works to strengthen trade and global partnerships, its visitor visa system must support timely and predictable travel. When travellers face uncertainty, Canada risks losing visitor spending, business opportunities, and valuable partnerships.

The tracker also supports evidence-based reforms to improve reliability while maintaining system security. TIAC is calling for three targeted measures:

• expand electronic travel authorization (eTA) eligibility to additional countries where security can be maintained;
• meet published visitor visa service standards so travellers have timelines they can plan around; and
• better resource the system during surge periods, including for processing capacity, appointment availability, and access to biometrics.