It doesn't take long at all to actually talk to the immigration officer, but sometimes there can be big line-ups at YVR. My partner had to wait along time. I think it took him about an hour to get through the line, and talk to someone and be done.
For me and my family when we landed in 2011, it took us about an hour from the first line till we finished with immigration intrvw and signing the landing papers.pretty quick, but we were second or third from the start of the line so make sure you walk pretty quickly when you get off the plane and on the way to immigration.