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My friend and I are returning from Morocco back to the US on December 25th. The tickets I bought have a layover in Montreal, Canada. I'm a Canadian citizen, so I don't need any visa. However, my friend is a Bengali citizen with an F1 student visa in the US.

I am aware that he would need transit visa to go through Canada, so I helped him apply on Oct 15, which I thought should be sufficient time. However, I haven't heard anything from the IRCC yet, and the visa application is not even at the Review of eligibility stage yet. I am a bit worried because we will leave for Morocco on December 9th, and I don't know if we will have enough time to wait for the application decision to be finalized plus getting his passport mailed back and forth.

Is this waiting time usual? And is there any way I can expedite the visa application process?

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According to the Canadian GOV website, if you applied by paper the processing time is 53 days so this wait time is normal. However, if you applied online the processing time is 5 days. Therefore, you should contact the Canadian consulate about the visa application.

The ways to get a quicker application approval mentioned:

To avoid delays:

  • include all the information we ask for with your application. Use the document checklist in the application package -tell us of any changes to the personal information on your application, such as changes to your:
    • name
    • contact information
    • family situation
    • make sure the photocopies and documents you give us are clear provide certified English or French translations of original documents that you submit in other languages
  • tell the truth on your application

There may be delays in processing your application if:

  • you do not tell us of any criminal or security problems related to it
  • your family situation is unclear because of issues such as
    • a divorce
    • an incomplete adoption
    • unresolved child custody issues
  • the office has to consult with other offices in Canada or abroad

There is no mention of an expedited service.

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