Historical note: timelines here are from early 2022 processing in India; current turnaround times differ.
An applicant submitted their passport to VFS Mumbai on 26 Feb; it showed 'under process' at IRCC from 2 March, and their flight was booked for the 20th — 12 days later. Members' takeaways:
- Passport return after submission is not instant. Members in this thread reported roughly 20–23 days from passport pickup to return with the visa stamped for applicants from some Indian regions at the time. Planning around a friend's faster timeline is risky.
- Book travel only after the stamped passport is in hand. The first response said it plainly: don't book a flight before you have the passport back. If you must book early, use flexible or refundable fares.
- If you're inside the window, wait rather than panic. The consistent advice was to allow a few more days before changing tickets — most passports arrive within the typical window.
- Premium services can help at the margins. Members mentioned premium/courier options at biometric or passport submission that some applicants use to speed up handling; availability varies by VAC.
The core lesson is sequencing: passport request → submission → IRCC stamping → return, and only then firm travel plans.