Canada Visitor Visa Approval Rate by Country 2026 (IRCC)
As of September 24, 2026.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved 54% of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applications, the official name for the visitor visa, in January and February 2026, according to the data package it prepared for the House of Commons immigration committee in May 2026. That is up from 48% in the same two months of 2025. For all of 2025, IRCC reported a 51% refusal rate. IRCC does not publish official per-country approval percentages. By country, it publishes how many visitor visas it issued: volumes fell hard from 2023 to 2025, and nationally, January to July 2026 ran about 10% above the same months of 2025. The common questions are answered below from IRCC sources, not from rumour.
TL;DR
National visitor visa (TRV) approval: 54% in January-February 2026, up from 48% a year earlier (IRCC committee data to 28 February 2026) | IRCC reported a 51% TRV refusal rate for all of 2025 | Study permits were the hardest line in the same table: 38% approved | IRCC does not publish official per-country visitor-visa approval rates | Visitor visas issued January-July 2026 ran about 10% above the same months of 2025: India up 19%, Pakistan up 28%, Iran down 34%
Is Canada rejecting a visitor visa in 2026?
Short answer: Yes, about half the time, but a little less often than in 2025. IRCC's comprehensive data package for its 4 May 2026 committee appearance shows 54% of temporary resident visa applications approved in January and February 2026 (212,400 approvals), against 48% in the same months of 2025. Counted without super visas, visitor visas were at 52%. IRCC's briefing note on expired and cancelled visas puts the full-year refusal rate at 51% for 2025, 54% for 2024 and 39% for 2023. It is not a freeze and it is not an 80% national refusal. Apply through the live visitor visa process. A refusal is a decision on your file, not a closed program.
IRCC says most visitor visa refusals happen because the officer was not satisfied the applicant would leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay, and that it is putting more emphasis on detecting fraud. A misrepresentation refusal comes with a five-year ban. Keep private travel plans flexible until you have a decision. IRCC's after you apply page still describes completeness checks, biometrics, and possible extra steps.
Is Canada rejecting 80% of Indian visas?
Short answer: No IRCC table says that. IRCC has not published an official India-only visitor-visa approval percentage, so do not treat an 80% figure from a video or a forum as departmental data. What IRCC does publish is issuance volume: how many visitor visas it actually issued. Its monthly open data shows India is still the largest source by far, and India's numbers are rising again: 220,665 visitor visas from January to July 2026, up 19% from 185,855 in the same months of 2025. The full 2025 total (303,080) was still far below 2023 (562,905). A volume drop is not the same as an 80% refusal rate. Officers still decide each file on ties home, funds, purpose, and travel history.
If someone quotes "80% of Indian visas," ask which visa type and which IRCC table. Study permits and visitor visas are different lines in the same committee data.
How long does it take for a Canadian visitor visa to be approved?
Short answer: IRCC does not put a single global day-count on the visitor-visa program page. The after you apply text says most applications process in a few weeks or less, and that times depend on the visa office and extra steps such as biometrics, a medical exam, a police certificate, or an interview. Use the IRCC processing-times tool and pick visitor visa from outside Canada. The clock starts when IRCC has a complete application. Incomplete files can be refused. The wait for your country is on that tool.
For wait times in detail, see Canada visitor visa processing time.
Which visa has the highest rejection rate?
Short answer: Study permits. In IRCC's January and February 2026 figures, 38% of study permit applications were approved, so most were refused. Temporary resident visas were at 54%, work permits at 82% and Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) applications at 97%. Inside Canada, visitor record extensions fell to 76% approved from 90% a year earlier. "Highest rejection" in that snapshot is study permits, not visitor visas. Those products are not interchangeable. A refused visitor visa is not a refused study permit.
| Product (IRCC committee data, to 28 February 2026) | Jan-Feb 2025 approval | Jan-Feb 2026 approval |
|---|
| Temporary resident visa, all (visitor visa including super visa) | 48% | 54% |
| Visitor visa, excluding super visa | 46% | 52% |
| Visitor record (extension inside Canada) | 90% | 76% |
| Work permit | 68% | 82% |
| Study permit | 30% | 38% |
| eTA | 97% | 97% |
Source: IRCC comprehensive data package, CIMM, 4 May 2026.
How have visitor visa issuances shifted by country?
Short answer: IRCC's open data counts visas issued, not the percentage approved. For the countries our clients ask about most, issuance fell from 2023 to 2025: Iran and Bangladesh dropped about two thirds, the Philippines almost three quarters, and India 46% while still leading in raw numbers. In 2026 the picture split. Across all countries, IRCC issued 719,225 visitor visas from January to July 2026, about 10% more than a year earlier. India rose 19% and Pakistan 28%, while Iran fell 34% and Nigeria 30%. These are not official approval rates. They show how many people actually received a visitor visa. Read them next to the national approval rate above. The hub for those files is IRCC Statistics and Open Data.
| Country | 2023 issued | 2024 issued | 2025 issued | Change 2023 to 2025 |
|---|
| India | 562,905 | 506,080 | 303,080 | down 46% |
| Nigeria | 79,275 | 51,425 | 45,460 | down 43% |
| Iran | 56,950 | 37,805 | 18,105 | down 68% |
| Philippines | 79,015 | 48,755 | 21,115 | down 73% |
| Pakistan | 43,480 | 29,460 | 22,890 | down 47% |
| Bangladesh | 45,250 | 27,780 | 14,465 | down 68% |
| All countries | 1,757,465 | 1,458,075 | 1,048,150 | down 40% |
| Country | Jan-Jul 2025 issued | Jan-Jul 2026 issued | Change |
|---|
| India | 185,855 | 220,665 | up 19% |
| Nigeria | 31,920 | 22,315 | down 30% |
| Iran | 11,155 | 7,390 | down 34% |
| Philippines | 13,910 | 13,860 | about flat |
| Pakistan | 13,010 | 16,715 | up 28% |
| Bangladesh | 8,540 | 8,610 | about flat |
| All countries | 655,725 | 719,225 | up 10% |
Source: IRCC open data, visitor visas (V-1 counterfoil only) approved by month, January 2023 to July 2026, data as of 4 August 2026. The January to July 2025 figures add up IRCC's monthly counts. IRCC rounds each count to the nearest 5 and revises past months, so totals can differ slightly from earlier versions of this page.
A strong file still needs proof you will leave, funds for the trip, and a purpose that matches the visit. We are Go Far Global, a licensed Canadian immigration firm. If a prior refusal is on the file, book a consultation before you reapply.
The 2026-2028 levels plan sets arrival targets for students and workers, and it states that targets are not set for visitors arriving with visas or eTAs. It is not a visitor-visa quota and it is not a per-country scoreboard.
Sources
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
