Visa processing delays for South Africans travelling to Canada remain a major challenge for travel agents, with long waiting periods and inconsistent outcomes continuing to complicate travel planning – even with the FIFA World Cup (hosted by North America) now less than five months away.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that it will not issue special FIFA World Cup visas. Instead, all international visitors will be required to enter Canada under existing visa categories. This means that fans, players and match staff, media, and FIFA-invited volunteers must apply for a visitor’s visa.
Applicants are able to indicate whether they are attending the World Cup as spectators or hold an official invitation and special event code issued by FIFA. However, it remains unclear whether this carries any weight in expediting applications, with FIFA stipulating on its website that possession of a ticket does not guarantee entry.
In 2025, agents voted Canada the most challenging country to apply for a visa, thanks to a record number of rejections in 2024 as well as significant processing delays, waiting 568 days for a visitor’s visa. As of January 27, the waiting time has increased to 737 days.
In response to questions related to visa processing delays, Candice Magen, CEO of Visas Abroad, said: “We have been aware of the longer processing time as we have not been receiving outcomes as quickly as we were towards the end of last year. However, the outcomes are received within the stipulated time frame. The processing time has increased from over 400 days to over 700 days in the past two weeks. When it comes to Canadian visas, or any visa for that matter, we advise clients of the processing time from the onset and when it comes to Canada specifically, it is in the traveller's interest to apply as far in advance as possible.”
Adding to the frustration, reported irregularities in processing times have seen some applicants receive visas within just two weeks. Altus Stenekamp, Director at Up and Away Travel, said: “In my case, my client has a valid US visa in her passport but we do not have any concrete evidence that this aided her case. The speedy outcome of her visa application was quite a shock as she was advised to apply more than two years in advance of a cruise they were planning.” Stenekamp went on to say: “It doesn't exactly instil trust in the industry as it leads to a lot of uncertainty and inconsistency that makes it difficult to advise other clients going through the same process.”
As a result, agents are increasingly steering clients away from Canada altogether. South Africans continue to travel to Canada for a variety of reasons, including visiting friends and relatives, but Stenekamp added that his clients had opted to meet up with family or friends in Mexico or the Caribbean instead.
In terms of the impact it has on the upcoming FIFA World Cup, set to take place from June 11-July 19, Stenekamp said: “The appetite we have had for the FIFA World Cup is purely for the US. We try to avoid Canada if at all possible.” The country is to stage 13 matches – seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto.
Magen added: “Given the long processing time, it could possibly have an impact on South Africans travelling to Canada for the World Cup, however given the nature and size of the event, we would hope that the embassy would make provision for World Cup travellers as they would be anticipating an influx of applications.”
She noted that there had been no direct communication from the IRCC regarding visa delays, other than official updates to its website.
