# Canada Visa Status Check for Indian Applicants

> How to follow a Canada visa application from India stage by stage: IRCC Portal, biometrics letter, VFS appointment, IRCC's posted processing times, passport submission and decision collection.

_Published: 2026-11-06 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1114_

## TL;DR

Indian applicants follow their Canada visa in the IRCC Portal account they applied through, from the biometrics instruction letter to the decision. IRCC's posted time for visitor visas from India is 29 days (updated October 14, 2026). The passport and decision envelope then move through a VFS Global centre.

## Key takeaways

- Canada visas are applied for and followed online through the IRCC Portal; VFS Global only runs the Visa Application Centres.
- IRCC's posted times for India (October 14, 2026): visitor visa 29 days, super visa 77 days, study permit 7 weeks, work permit 11 weeks.
- IRCC says posted times are backward-looking; applications needing more information take longer.
- Since 24 February 2026, VFS biometrics bookings require uploading the IRCC Biometric Instruction Letter.
- Decision envelopes can be collected at the VAC (walk-in, Monday to Friday 9:00-17:00) or returned by courier for INR 858 one way.

**To check a Canada visa status from India, follow your application in the IRCC Portal account you applied through: biometrics instruction letter, biometrics at a VFS Global centre, decision, then passport submission. According to IRCC data updated October 14, 2026, visitor visas from India take 29 days; VFS Global handles the passport and decision-envelope stage.**

## Article

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides the application, and the visa office in New Delhi handles files from India. VFS Global is the Government of Canada's exclusive service provider for the 10 Visa Application Centres (VACs) in India. This guide is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees and requirements, see our Canada visa guide for Indians.

### What are the stages of a Canada visa application?
Knowing the order of stages tells you what 'status' to expect next.

StageWhat happensWhere it happens1. SubmittedYou apply online and pay the CAN$100 visa fee and CAN$85 biometrics feeIRCC Portal, which also generates your personalised document checklist2. Biometrics instruction letterIRCC asks you to give fingerprints and a photoIssued by IRCC3. AppointmentYou book a free biometrics slot, uploading the Biometric Instruction LetterVFS Global appointment system4. BiometricsFingerprints and digital photo takenAny of the 10 VACs5. ProcessingThe visa office reviews the file; requests for more information add timeIRCC6. Passport requestIf approved, you submit your passport, which can be sent through a VAC by appointmentVAC7. Decision envelopePassport returned with the visa placed in itVAC collection or courier
### How long should a Canada visa take from India?
IRCC's processing-times data for India, last updated October 14, 2026:

Application from IndiaPosted processing timeVisitor visa29 daysSuper visa (parents and grandparents)77 daysStudy permit (outside Canada)7 weeksWork permit (outside Canada)11 weeksRead these figures with care. IRCC told a parliamentary committee in April 2026 that posted times are backward-looking and do not reflect actual processing times. Applications needing more information take longer. A file that passes the posted time is not necessarily in trouble.

### How do you track the passport stage at VFS?
Once IRCC asks for your passport, the VAC becomes your contact point. Passport submission needs a prior appointment. The VFS India service charges effective 1 May 2026 list optional extras, paid at the VAC in INR by cash or UPI and non-refundable:

- SMS updates: INR 179 (CAD 3.00)
- One-way courier for passport return: INR 858 (CAD 14.40)
- Two-way courier: INR 1,716 (CAD 28.80)
- Package transmission, if you gave biometrics at one VAC and submit at another: INR 604 (CAD 10.13) per package
VFS has announced new service charges from 1 November 2026; the new amounts were not published as of 15 October 2026. Without courier, collect the decision envelope at the VAC on a walk-in basis, Monday to Friday 9:00-17:00 (VFS lists Pune at 08:00-16:00). VACs operate in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

### What should you do if your status has not moved?
- Check that biometrics are done. Processing depends on them, and since 24 February 2026 the VFS booking needs the IRCC Biometric Instruction Letter uploaded.
- Re-read your checklist. The IRCC Portal checklist is personalised, and the local visa office may require additional documents.
- Reply fast to any request. IRCC says applications needing more information take longer.
- Use the right channel. The High Commission of Canada in New Delhi lists services for Canadians (consular and passport), and the Consulates General in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai handle general enquiries only, with in-person operations suspended. Neither is a visa status desk.
For the official sequence, see IRCC's 'after you apply' page.

### Do study, work and super visa files move differently?
Yes. Each has extra requirements that can hold a status in place if they are missing:

- Study permit (posted time 7 weeks): most applicants must submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) with the application. 2026 cap-year letters are valid until December 31, 2026 unless they show an earlier date. You need a new letter after an approval or refusal and, since January 22, 2025, when changing schools. Master's and doctoral programs at public DLIs have not needed one since January 1, 2026. A police certificate or medical exam may also be required.
- Work permit (posted time 11 weeks): most employer-specific permits depend on the employer's positive Labour Market Impact Assessment, with the LMIA letter and Annex A in your file, unless the job is LMIA-exempt.
- Super visa (posted time 77 days): you need an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician and private health insurance valid at least 1 year from entry, with at least CAN$100,000 emergency coverage. The visa is printed by a visa office outside Canada.
For context on outcomes, IRCC's April 2026 note to a parliamentary committee reports approval rates for all nationalities from January 1 to February 28, 2026: 82% for work permits, 54% for visitor visas and 38% for study permits. These are worldwide figures, not India-specific, and they say nothing about any single file.

### What does an approved Canada visa look like?
The visitor visa is not electronic. If you are approved, you submit your passport to IRCC, and you cannot travel until IRCC places the visa in it. IRCC decides the validity, generally up to a maximum of 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Most visitors can stay up to 6 months per entry, though the border officer may set a different date. Check your name, passport number and validity in the visa as soon as the envelope reaches you.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us via our contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Can I travel to Canada before the visa is placed in my passport?
No. The Canadian visitor visa is not electronic. After approval you submit your passport to IRCC, which can be sent through a VAC, and you cannot travel until IRCC places the visa in it.

#### Is there a charge for booking the Canada biometrics appointment?
No. Booking the biometrics appointment with VFS is free. The CAN$85 IRCC biometrics fee, paid online, covers the fingerprints and photo at the VAC and one transmission of documents between IRCC and that VAC.

#### Does VFS decide my Canada visa?
No. VFS Global runs the Visa Application Centres as the Government of Canada's exclusive service provider in India. IRCC decides the application, and files from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi.

#### How long is the processing time for a Canada super visa from India?
IRCC's posted time for super visa applications from India is 77 days, in data last updated October 14, 2026. IRCC says posted times are backward-looking.

## Steps

1. **Keep your IRCC Portal access** — Apply online through the IRCC Portal and keep your login details. Your personalised document checklist and application sit there.
2. **Wait for the biometrics instruction letter** — After you apply and pay the CAN$100 visa fee and CAN$85 biometrics fee, IRCC sends a biometrics instruction letter.
3. **Book and attend biometrics** — Book a free slot in the VFS appointment system, uploading the Biometric Instruction Letter, and give fingerprints and a photo at a VAC.
4. **Compare with the posted processing time** — Measure elapsed time against IRCC's posted figure for India, 29 days for visitor visas (updated October 14, 2026), remembering that IRCC calls these figures backward-looking.
5. **Answer any request for information** — If IRCC asks for more documents, respond promptly; applications needing more information take longer.
6. **Submit your passport when asked** — Book a passport submission appointment at a VAC, and choose courier return (INR 858 one way) or SMS updates (INR 179) if useful.
7. **Collect the decision envelope** — Collect at the VAC on a walk-in basis, Monday to Friday 9:00-17:00, or receive it by courier, and check the visa details.

## FAQ

### Can I travel to Canada before the visa is placed in my passport?

No. The Canadian visitor visa is not electronic. After approval you submit your passport to IRCC, which can be sent through a VAC, and you cannot travel until IRCC places the visa in it.

### Is there a charge for booking the Canada biometrics appointment?

No. Booking the biometrics appointment with VFS is free. The CAN$85 IRCC biometrics fee, paid online, covers the fingerprints and photo at the VAC and one transmission of documents between IRCC and that VAC.

### Does VFS decide my Canada visa?

No. VFS Global runs the Visa Application Centres as the Government of Canada's exclusive service provider in India. IRCC decides the application, and files from India are handled by the visa office in New Delhi.

### How long is the processing time for a Canada super visa from India?

IRCC's posted time for super visa applications from India is 77 days, in data last updated October 14, 2026. IRCC says posted times are backward-looking.

## Sources

1. [After you apply for a visitor visa](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/after-apply-next-steps.html) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
2. [Processing times data](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/json/data-ptime-en.json) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
3. [Canada VAC service charges India (effective 1 May 2026)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/can/service-charges) — VFS Global