How long does it take a refugee to get to Canada after their sponsorship is approved?

It can take up to 4 months for a refugee to arrive in Canada after the sponsorship is approved. The process has 3 stages:

1. We process the sponsorship application in 1 week.
2. It can take up to 8 weeks for refugees to get their visas and exit permits, depending on where they are.
3. Refugees usually travel within 3 to 6 weeks of getting their travel documents.

In some cases, factors outside our control can delay a refugee’s travel to Canada, like if conditions inside the refugee’s country change unexpectedly.