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Background check and final decision pending for months after biometrics: what's a realistic timeline?

Canada • Permanent Resident • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Timeline

Applied
13 Sep

Step-by-Step

A member with an AOR of September 13, whose biometrics were completed and updated on October 24, but whose background check and final decision remained pending 3 months later, asked how much longer this stage typically takes.

What the thread suggested:
  1. Background check and final decision processing has reportedly been taking the full 5 to 6 months at times, based on members' shared experiences — a 3-month wait at this stage isn't necessarily unusual given that benchmark.

  2. Some members reported waiting significantly longer — up to a full year — in a similar stalled state, illustrating that this stage can genuinely stretch well beyond typical published processing times in some cases.


The practical takeaway: budget for the background check and final decision stage to potentially take 5-6 months or more after biometrics — a wait of several months at this stage isn't unusual, though some cases have reportedly stretched to around a year.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: Background check and final decision processing has reportedly taken 5-6 months at times, and occasionally longer.

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