An applicant stressed about their security check sitting "in progress" asked for positive experiences. The thread's answers demystify the status:
- Security screening happens to every application. The clearest reframe in the thread: security is one of the standard checks IRCC runs — it starts, shows in progress, and then moves to completed for everyone. Seeing "in progress" is the system working, not a red flag about you.
- The 'comprehensive screening' rumour is overblown. The poster had heard that "in progress" means comprehensive screening that could take a year or more. Members countered that the status appears for every file, and unless there's something genuinely problematic in your history, there's nothing to act on: "let them do what they need to do."
- Timelines vary — and context helps. During COVID-era backlogs, security checks ran 6–8 months or more; 1–5 months in progress (the poster was at 5 months, with no travel history, no government or military service) was within normal range. Some members even received their COPR while the status still showed in progress — the status display lags the actual decision.
- What you can actually do: nothing accelerates a security check. Keep your contact details current, respond promptly if IRCC requests anything, and avoid reading tea leaves in status screens. If processing exceeds normal times substantially, a webform inquiry or (much later) an order of GCMS notes are the standard escalations.
Historical note: the COVID-era backlog timelines cited here are period-specific; current security-check durations differ.