PhD study permit (non-SDS, applied from Pakistan) with family — how long before review even starts?

An applicant who submitted a PhD study permit application (with SOWP for spouse and a visitor visa for their child) for the University of Manitoba, non-SDS, from Pakistan on April 6, asked when to expect progress since no review had started yet.

What the group shared:

1. One member reported receiving their PPR in about 6 months, noting that processing had sped up compared to 2020 — a data point for non-SDS PhD applications from Pakistan around this period.


2. Contacting professors before applying was raised as a relevant factor — one member asked whether the original poster had reached out to potential supervisors first, hinting that pre-application contact with faculty can matter for PhD admissions and potentially the overall application strength.


3. No universal timeline exists — waits varied significantly, with some applicants (as of the conversation) still waiting well past the 6-month mark.

Takeaway: for non-SDS PhD applications from Pakistan, a 6-month wait to PPR was one reported data point, but treat it as anecdotal rather than a guarantee — and consider contacting prospective supervisors directly as part of a strong PhD application strategy.