Economic Immigration
Provincial Nominee (Base) Processing Time
About 96,500 people waiting · IRCC data as of October 9, 2026
The base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) covers permanent residence applications from people nominated by a province or territory outside the Express Entry system. Provinces use base streams to select workers, graduates, and entrepreneurs who match local labour needs but may not qualify for Express Entry.
Base PNP applications are processed as paper-based federal files, which historically take substantially longer than their Express Entry counterparts. This page tracks the official IRCC processing time and its trend.
Processing Time History
| Date | Processing Time (months) |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2025 | 16 |
| November 6, 2025 | 16 |
| December 9, 2025 | 16 |
| January 14, 2026 | 13 |
| February 12, 2026 | 13 |
| March 9, 2026 | 13 |
| April 7, 2026 | 13 |
| May 12, 2026 | 14 |
| June 8, 2026 | 13 |
| July 7, 2026 | 12 |
| August 10, 2026 | 13 |
| September 3, 2026 | 13 |
| October 9, 2026 | 13 |
People Ahead by Application Month
IRCC also publishes how many applications submitted in each month are still ahead of you in the Provincial Nominee (Base) queue.
| Month | People Ahead |
|---|---|
| 2024/10 | 14500 |
| 2024/11 | 17200 |
| 2024/12 | 19000 |
| 2025/01 | 20600 |
| 2025/02 | 21600 |
| 2025/03 | 22800 |
| 2025/04 | 23800 |
| 2025/05 | 24700 |
| 2025/06 | 25600 |
| 2025/07 | 26500 |
| 2025/08 | 27500 |
| 2025/09 | 28800 |
| 2025/10 | 30000 |
| 2025/11 | 31900 |
| 2025/12 | 35600 |
| 2026/01 | 41000 |
| 2026/02 | 47900 |
| 2026/03 | 56000 |
| 2026/04 | 64200 |
| 2026/05 | 71000 |
| 2026/06 | 77600 |
| 2026/07 | 84000 |
| 2026/08 | 90000 |
| 2026/09 | 96500 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Provincial Nominee (Base) take right now?
As of October 9, 2026, IRCC reports a processing time of about 13 months for Provincial Nominee (Base) applications, with about 96,500 people waiting.
Why are base PNP applications slower than Express Entry PNP?
Base nominations lead to a traditional (non-Express Entry) federal application. These files are not subject to the six-month Express Entry service standard and sit in a separate inventory, so they typically take two to three times longer.
Can I switch a base nomination to Express Entry?
Not directly — the nomination type is set by the provincial stream you applied through. If you are eligible for the Express Entry pool, some provinces allow you to apply to an enhanced stream instead, which is worth checking before you commit to a base stream.