A member asked whether starting the visa filing process in June was still realistic for a Fall intake, right before paying application fees. (Note: the specific processing times cited below reflect that period and may not match current IRCC timelines — always check IRCC's live processing time tool.)
What the thread flagged:- Applying in June was described as a real risk given the remaining steps — specifically, the applicant still needed to book a medical exam time slot, and slot availability itself can be a bottleneck. The advice was to book the medical slot first, then judge your realistic timeline from there.
- Members estimated total processing at roughly 90 days, plus an additional 15–20 days for passport submission after approval — meaning the full runway from filing to having your passport back could stretch past 100 days.
- Given these timelines, a late filing risked needing to defer the program to a later intake if the decision didn't arrive in time.
Practical takeaway: if you're filing close to an intake deadline, book your medical exam slot immediately and work backward from the reported ~90-day processing plus ~15-20 day passport submission window to judge whether you can realistically make your intake — and have a deferral plan ready if timelines run long.