Expected processing time for background security checks?

[Joey-Jo]

Also just to add to my post above.. another update for me as of today... confirmation of permanent residence! Phew, such a relief.

 

[Tarhata YU]

Applied 2023 December, outland, spousal
Background check since January 2025, still no update

 

[Joey-Jo]

Received P1 last Friday and P2 today. With luck I might have my PR card before Christmas or the new year. The end of a long 21 month road, although I know some people are still waiting to hear about their applications.

 

[rogerfaster]

I'm in the situation where I applied end of February 2024 (outland spousal sponsorship, civil marriage, I'm the applicant, British) and my background check has been in progress since April 2024, which is now well over a year. Everything else has been completed and fine, it's just this that's delaying everything. I applied for GCMS notes in February and Security screening hadn't even been started then. Should I contact IRCC again and order new notes?

I'm getting very despondent as I feel my case is pretty straight forward and the first part went very smoothly. I know from reading in the forum that background check takes the longest and varies from individual to individual, but I do see many cases where some outland applicants are getting their PR cards in six months, which makes me feel even more frustrated as there seems to be no inconsistency in how applications are dealt with.

I'm curious to know if other outland applicants are in the same boat or have already received their PR. I'm hoping to hear from others who applied around the same time and can share their experiences with the lengthy background checks. I also came across Peoplesmart while searching for information online.

I’d definitely consider ordering updated GCMS notes, especially since your last ones showed that security screening hadn’t started. You could also contact IRCC for an update, although the response may be fairly generic. Unfortunately, these cases can take a long time, and seeing others get approved in six months makes the wait even more frustrating. Hopefully, the new notes will give you a clearer idea of what’s happening. There are probably others in the same situation, so it may be worth comparing timelines with applicants who applied around the same time.

 

[UDON55fai]

Also, took well over a year to complete the security check on my spouse; reached out to CBSA but the notes didn't really tell me anything of substance. Essentially 3 years from initially applying to getting their PR cards.