For applicants deciding whether to use IRCC's newer visitor visa application portal:
- Having a valid US visitor visa already appears to significantly improve approval odds on the new portal, according to group members' experience — treat prior US visa history as a meaningful positive factor if you have it.
- Without a US visa on file, approvals through the new portal reportedly take much longer — months rather than the few weeks that used to be typical, and outcomes were described as less certain.
- Set expectations accordingly: if you don't have a US visitor visa history, budget for a longer wait and don't assume the newer portal is faster just because it's newer — anecdotally it has been slower for applicants without that history.
This is based on individual group members' experiences at a specific point in time (mentions of a June application still pending) — processing times and portal behavior change, so check current IRCC processing time estimates for your visa office before applying.