canada tourist visa application status check

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Update or ask about your application: check your application status, tell us about yourself (as the representative).

• Spouses or common-law partners must also use this form.
• Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (IMM5475) form

Tell us about yourself (as the person helping the principal applicant)

Tell us about the principal applicant.

Fill in only 1 of these 3 fields – application number, Unique Client Identifier (UCI), or passport number

What’s your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) number?

Your Client ID Number, also known as a Unique Client Identifier (UCI), can be found on any official document we sent to you.

If you’ve never dealt with us before, you won’t have a UCI. If you don’t have a UCI, leave the field blank.

If this request is about a dependent child, use the principal applicant’s (the parent’s) UCI.

What is your application number?

You can find your application number on any official document or correspondence we sent you. This number is not the same thing as your client ID number (unique client identifier [UCI]).

If your request is about a dependent child, please use the principal applicant's (that is, the parent's) "Application ID number".

Make sure the application number you entered matches the format for the program you applied to.

• Temporary residence (visitors, students and workers): The number must be 10 characters long and begin with a letter.
• Economic, Non-economic and non-provincial nominee programs: The number must be 10 characters long and begin with a letter.
• Provincial nominee programs: The number must be 10 characters long and begin with "EP".
• Refugees: The number must be 10 characters long and begin with a letter.
• If it is 10 characters it will be 1 or 2 letters followed by 8 or 9 numbers respectively; for a total of 10 characters. For example, for a Grant application, C000000000 or 0000000; an Adoption C000000000 or 0000000; a Proof application, PR00000000 or 0000000; a Search SR00000000 or 0000000; or a Renunciation application RN00000000 or 000000.
• Verification of status: The number must be 10 characters long and begin with "SV".
• Certificate of identity: The number must be 10 characters long and contain only numerals (no letters).

Tell us about your request

Upload your document(s) (required).

The maximum file size for each file is 2 MB. If a file is bigger than 2 MB, you need to reduce the size of your file . If you upload more than 1 file, the total maximum file size is 3.5 MB.

We accept these file formats:

• PDF (portable document)
• JPG, TIFF or PNG (image)
• DOC or DOCX (Microsoft Word document)

Upload document – Document isn’t an accepted format.

Upload document – Document size can’t be larger than 2 MB.

Upload document – Size of total documents can’t be larger than 3.5 MB.

By providing your email address, you’re consenting to IRCC's use of the contact information provided above, for the sole purpose of responding to your feedback. By supplying your email address to IRCC, you also understand that this channel may not be secure.

IRCC is not liable for the electronic disclosure of personal information to a third party where IRCC has taken reasonable means to ensure the identity of the party. IRCC is also not liable for the misuse of this information by a third party.

Review your request before you submit it

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On-Line Services

This on-line service allows Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clients to view securely the status of their immigration and/or citizenship application(s) on-line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; anytime, anywhere.

Applicants for permanent residence can receive instant email updates and more detailed, up-to-date case status by creating an online account. Find out how .

You may use this service if you have:

• sponsored a member of the family class;
• applied for permanent residence from within or outside Canada;
• applied for a permanent resident card;
• applied for Canadian citizenship (grant of citizenship);
• applied for Canadian citizenship for a person adopted by a Canadian citizen;
• applied for a citizenship certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship);
• applied to renounce Canadian citizenship; or
• applied to resume Canadian citizenship.

Before using this service, please be sure to have a copy of all the documents you have received regarding your application(s):

These may include one or more of the following:

• a copy of your application;
• your financial receipts (IMM 5401); or
• any letter or official document issued to you by IRCC.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for answers to frequently asked questions.

Please consult Application Processing Times for information about how long it may take to process your application.

The Client Application Status site is updated daily.

If you are inactive on this application for 30 minutes or more, you will be 'Timed-Out'. It is a security feature to ensure your identity and to protect your information.

Thank you for your help!

You will not receive a reply. For enquiries, please contact us .

PRD Version 6.11.0_b1 Date: 2023-10-18 10:03

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Why can’t I see my application status in the Client Application Status (CAS) tool?

There are a few reasons why you may not be able to see your case status in the  Client Application Status (CAS)  tool.

We haven’t started processing your application

Your status will only show once we start processing your application. There’s a delay between the  date we receive your application  and the date we open and process it.

The tool doesn’t support your application type

The CAS tool can’t see all application types. You may need to check your status a different way.

If you applied

• online through the IRCC secure account,  sign in to your account  to check your status
• see also:  What to do if you haven’t received any emails about your eTA
• on paper, you may be able to  link your application to your online account

Use the application status tracker if you applied

• to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent children
• Canadian Experience Class
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Federal Skilled Workers Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program

If you’re a representative, designated person, or principal applicant, you can use this tracker too.

Find out how to check the status for your application by  answering a few questions .

We removed your application from the tool

After we make a decision, we eventually remove your application from the CAS tool. The length of time depends on the type of application.

• Permanent resident applications : 180 days after you arrive in Canada
• Permanent resident card applications : 30 days after you get your card
• Citizenship applications : 180 days after we make a decision
• Visa applications : 365 days after you were refused, you withdrew or your application expired

You entered the wrong personal information

Make sure the information you enter matches your passport or identity documents.

There is a temporary technical issue 

You won’t be able to access online services if there’s system maintenance.

You’re using a web browser we don’t support.

You’re not the sponsor or principal applicant on the application.

For sponsorship applications, you can only check the application status for your part of the application.

• The sponsor can only see the sponsorship part of the application
• The person being sponsored can only see the permanent residence part of the application

If you’re a sponsor and want to check the status of the person you’re sponsoring, you must first request access to their information .

The information was changed on your sponsorship application

If you were able to see the status of your sponsorship application but no longer can, find out why.

You appealed a decision on your sponsorship application

Because the appeal process is complex, CAS doesn’t show the status of an appeal for a refused family class application. This is true whether the appeal was filed by the sponsor or by the person being sponsored. The sponsor will get a letter about the status of the appeal.

Did you find what you were looking for?

If not, tell us why:

You will not receive a reply. Telephone numbers and email addresses will be removed. Maximum 300 characters

Thank you for your feedback

Answers others found useful

• How long will it take to process my application?
• When does my processing time start?
• How can I check the status of my application?
• I sent my application a while ago, but there is no record of my application online. Why?
• How are processing times calculated?
• Why do some application processing times change and others do not?
• What does my family sponsorship application status mean?
• Why can’t I create a permanent residence tracker account for my sponsorship application?
• Why have processing times changed for some applications types?
• How do I check the status of my Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel application?

Glossary term

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Find out if you're eligible to apply

What would you like to do in canada.

Permits and/or visas may need to be issued, depending on what you want to do in Canada.

A permit is an official document issued by the Government of Canada and authorizes you to work or study while in Canada.

Select the code that matches the one on your passport.

Find this code on your passport information page - see the field named "Code", "Issuing country", "Authority" or "Country code".

What is your current country / territory of residence? If you are presently in Canada, you should select Canada.

The country a person is living in. A person's country of residence may be different from their country or countries of citizenship.

What is your date of birth?

If you do not know your date of birth, enter the date that appears on your passport, travel document or identity document.

If you do not know your exact date of birth, give as much information as possible.

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Changes to the Start-up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs to help reduce backlogs and improve processing times

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

News release

Immigration is critical to the growth of our economy and our communities. Improving processing times is key to providing an immigration system that works better for newcomers and Canadians alike, which is why we are taking action to reduce wait times and modernize our programs and services.

April 29, 2024—Ottawa— Immigration is critical to the growth of our economy and our communities. Improving processing times is key to providing an immigration system that works better for newcomers and Canadians alike, which is why we are taking action to reduce wait times and modernize our programs and services.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced several changes to Canada’s federal business programs to help reduce processing times and the application backlog. These changes take effect on April 30, 2024.

To improve the Start-up Visa Program, we will encourage designated venture capital firms, angel investor groups and business incubators to focus on the most promising proposals by

• capping the number of permanent residence applications we will accept for processing each year to those associated with no more than 10 start-ups per designated organization
• providing priority processing for entrepreneurs whose start-up is supported by Canadian capital or by a business incubator that is a member of Canada’s Tech Network , including applications in the inventory and new applications as they are submitted

In addition, Minister Miller announced a full pause on application intake for the Self­-Employed Persons Program to focus on processing applications from the inventory, starting April 30, 2024. The Self-Employed Persons Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for people with notable experience in art, culture, recreation or sports and who will contribute to Canada’s cultural vitality. Due to the high number of applications submitted for this program, processing times have increased to beyond four years. While the pause is in place, IRCC will continue finalizing applications from the backlog while assessing options for reforming the program and ensuring its integrity.

By restricting application intake through the end of 2026, and through planned increases in admissions for the federal business category as tabled in the 2024–2026 multi-year levels plan , IRCC will be able to reduce the backlog and bring down wait times while continuing to welcome the talented, innovative and entrepreneurial newcomers we need to continue to grow Canada’s economy. 

“Fast processing is critical to the success of entrepreneurs who come to Canada through our federal business programs. These necessary changes will set the Start­up Visa Program and Self-Employed Persons Program on the path to faster processing times while we look ahead to further reforms to make these programs more sustainable and effective over the long term.” – The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

Immigrants account for about one third of business owners with paid staff in Canada. 

Canada ranked number one as the most attractive destination for start-up founders in a  2023 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (PDF 2.18 MB) . The rankings were based on a wide variety of factors, including access to capital, corporate tax rates, skills of the workforce, strength of its universities and quality of life, as well as immigration policies for entrepreneurs and their families.

To qualify to apply for the Start-up Visa Program, a foreign entrepreneur must have the committed support of a designated venture capital fund (investment of $200,000), angel investor group (investment of $75,000) or business incubator (acceptance into their incubation program).

Since the program began in 2013, about 900 entrepreneurs have become permanent residents through this category, representing the launch of more than 300 start-ups.

All applications in the venture capital and angel investor streams will get priority processing, as will any business incubator–supported applications that report an investment of at least $75,000.

Related products

• News release: Stabilizing Canada’s immigration targets to support sustainable growth
• News release: Minister Fraser announces Canada’s first Tech Talent Strategy at Collision 2023

Associated links

• Start-up Visa Program
• Self-Employed Persons Program

Bahoz Dara Aziz   Press Secretary Minister’s Office Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [email protected]

Media Relations Communications Sector Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 613-952-1650 [email protected]

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