Your Canada application is “in progress” with no update: what it means

An IRCC application in progress means one thing: IRCC is still reviewing your file, and no decision has been made yet. It’s the normal middle stage between “Received” and “Closed,” and on its own it isn’t a warning sign. The frustrating part is what it doesn’t tell you, which is where your file actually sits and why it’s gone quiet.

That silence is what sends most people looking for answers. Your status line can read “in progress” for weeks or months without a single change, while the real activity on your file, the officer’s notes and the checks still working through the system, stays out of view. Below is what the status means, what’s happening behind it, and how to see the detail your account leaves out.

What “in progress” actually means

IRCC gives your application one of three overall statuses in the application status tracker:

• Received: IRCC has your application and is checking that it’s complete.
• In progress: IRCC is reviewing it. No decision yet.
• Closed: the file is approved, refused, or withdrawn. IRCC contacts you before it closes an application.

So “in progress” is the working stage. Your application has passed the completeness check, you’ve had your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), and an officer or the system is now working through the parts that need review. Status updates only appear after that AOR, which is why some people see nothing at all early on.

One thing worth saying plainly: “in progress” with no movement does not mean your file is lost, flagged, or stalled. Applications sit at this status routinely, and quiet weeks are normal. It simply means the review isn’t finished.

The sections behind the status

Underneath the overall status, IRCC breaks your application into parts it reviews separately. In the tracker you’ll usually see four:

• Éligibilité, whether you meet the requirements for what you applied for
• Medical exam, if one is required
• Background verification, IRCC’s admissibility and security checks
• Biometrics, your fingerprints and photo

Each part carries its own status: not started, waiting on you, in progress, completed, ou exempted (meaning you don’t need that step). This is more useful than the single line at the top. If eligibility says completed but background verification still reads in progress, you’ve learned something real about where the holdup is.

There’s also a “your next steps” section. If IRCC needs anything from you, a police certificate, a passport, a fee, or biometrics, it appears there. Check it regularly, because a request sitting unanswered is one of the most common reasons a file goes quiet.

Why it can stay “in progress” for so long

Your processing time starts the day IRCC receives your complete application with all fees paid, and it ends the day a decision is made. That’s it. Everything in between is the “in progress” window, and how long it runs depends on your application type, where you applied, and how busy IRCC is.

IRCC calculates times two ways, explained on its processing-times page: backward-looking (how long 80% of past applications took) and forward-looking (an estimate based on current inventory and capacity). Both are averages. Some files are also flagged as complex or non-routine, and those take longer than the published number without anything being wrong.

Before you worry, check the current time for your exact application type on IRCC’s tool and compare it to how long you’ve waited. If you’re still inside the standard window, the quiet is expected. If you’re past it, that’s a reasonable point to look closer.

What your account leaves out, and your GCMS notes show

The tracker tells you a section is “in progress.” It won’t tell you what the officer has written, which checks have cleared, or whether your file is waiting on a person, a security partner, or just a queue. That’s the detail people actually want when the status won’t move.

It lives in the government’s own system, and you can request it. Your Notes GCMS are the officer’s notes and the processing history on your file, drawn from IRCC’s Global Case Management System. They show the entries your public status line compresses into two words, so you can stop guessing about where things stand.

Requesting your own records is your right under the Privacy Act, and there’s no government fee to do it yourself. Ordering the notes doesn’t change your application, and the officer handling your file can’t see that you asked. Once you have them, our glossary of GCMS status codes helps you read the lines and abbreviations. If your file is clearly past the standard time, our guide on what a GCMS notes delay tells you covers what to look for.

Questions fréquemment posées

Is “in progress” good or bad?

Neither. It’s the normal status while IRCC reviews your application, sitting between “received” and a final decision. It doesn’t signal approval or refusal, and a long stretch at “in progress” doesn’t mean something has gone wrong.

How long can an application stay “in progress”?

As long as it takes IRCC to finish reviewing it, which varies by application type, country, and workload. Check the current processing time for your specific application on IRCC’s tool and compare it to your own wait. Complex files run longer than the average.

Why is there no update on my application?

Status only updates when IRCC completes a step or needs something from you, so quiet stretches are common. First check the “your next steps” section in your account in case IRCC has asked for a document. If nothing’s outstanding and you’re past the standard time, your GCMS notes will show what your account doesn’t.

Does “in progress” mean an officer has looked at my file?

Not necessarily on any given day. It means your application is in the review stage. Work can happen in bursts, and files often wait in a queue between steps, which is why the status can hold steady while things are still moving behind it.

Can I speed up an application that’s “in progress”?

No service or request can change IRCC’s processing time, and neither can ordering your GCMS notes. What the notes do is show you where your file stands, so you can see whether it’s moving normally, waiting on a check, or waiting on you.

Will ordering GCMS notes affect my application in progress?

No. Asking for your own records is a legal right, it doesn’t touch your application, and the officer reviewing your file can’t see that you requested them. It’s a records request, separate from the application itself.

See where your file really stands

If your application has been “in progress” with no update and you want to know what’s behind it, your GCMS notes are the clearest way to find out. You can order your GCMS notes here, with same-day submission and a typical turnaround of 15 to 35 days once the government releases them. For the turnaround detail, see our processing-time page. Your status line sums the file up in two words; the notes show you what those two words are hiding.