Members compared how long it takes to receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) after submitting a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) application to IRCC outside the Express Entry system (a paper-based PNP application, not one linked to an EE profile).
What the group reported:- Typical AOR wait was roughly 3-4 months for applications submitted to IRCC after PNP nomination, based on multiple members' experiences.
- Outland (from outside Canada) applicants reported longer waits than inland applicants — one member cited roughly 12-13 months or more for outland paper-based applications, versus faster processing for those applying from within Canada.
- Submitting from within Canada appeared to move faster in the examples shared, though individual results varied with IRCC's processing backlogs at the time.
Historical note: These reported timelines (2021-2022) reflect a specific period of IRCC backlogs and paper-based PNP processing; current wait times can differ significantly and should be checked against IRCC's published processing times.