After you submit, the waiting starts, and every unread inbox check feels like bad news. Many people are not sure what a message from IRCC would even look like. Understanding that ahead of time saves a lot of anxious refreshing.
Quick answer: Yes, IRCC usually sends an email when there is an update on your Canada visa application, but for most visas the email only tells you to sign in to your IRCC account, where the decision and next steps appear. The eTA is the exception: most are approved within minutes and you are told by email. If an eTA needs documents, instructions arrive within 72 hours.
Fact-checked by the MS International Editorial Team. Last verified against official sources: October 2026.
Many applicants refresh their inbox for days, or find a notification in spam weeks later. Others see an email, never log in, and miss a request with a deadline, such as biometrics or passport submission. This guide explains what IRCC sends at each stage, how to read your account, and what to do when nothing arrives.
Does Canada Visa Approval Trigger an Email from IRCC?
Yes, IRCC sends notification emails during processing, but the decision itself is in your IRCC account. For visitor visas, study permits and work permits, treat the email as a prompt to sign in, not as the result.
IRCC says it contacts applicants by mail, email or through their account. If you applied online, the account is where letters and decisions are posted. The email goes to the address on your profile, so an outdated address means you miss the alert. The confirmation email you receive right after submitting online is not a decision, and it is not the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) either. IRCC sends the AOR only after it checks that your application is complete.
How IRCC Email Notifications Work for Approvals and Rejections
Approval and refusal are both communicated through your account, so the email looks much the same either way. You should not read anything into a short or vague email.
What the email usually contains
Do not expect an attached visa or a decision letter in the message. The same pattern applies to requests for biometrics, additional documents or your passport.
How to see the full decision
Sign in to your IRCC account, open your list of submitted applications and choose “Check status and messages” for the one you are waiting on. Then open any new message or letter, which opens as a PDF.
- Approved visitor visa: the account shows a letter asking you to submit your passport so the visa can be placed in it. You cannot travel to Canada until the visa is in your passport.
- Approved study or work permit: instructions on next steps, which may include a port of entry letter of introduction to show when you arrive.
- Refusal: the letter in your account explains the reason for the refusal.
The account, not your inbox, is the record of your application.
Does the Type of Visa Affect the Email Notification You Receive?
Yes. The eTA is the only common case where the email carries the result, while visas and permits are decided in your account.
| Application | What the email does | Where the result is |
|---|---|---|
| eTA | Confirms approval in most cases, usually within minutes | Email, linked to your passport |
| Visitor visa (TRV) | Tells you to sign in | IRCC account, then passport request |
| Study permit | Tells you to sign in | IRCC account |
| Work permit | Tells you to sign in | IRCC account |
eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization)
Most eTAs are approved within minutes, and if you need to submit documents first, IRCC emails instructions within 72 hours of applying. The eTA is linked electronically to the passport you applied with, so nothing is stamped or mailed. It is valid for up to five years or until that passport expires, whichever comes first, and a new passport needs a new eTA. The approval email includes your eTA number, so keep it, and check that the passport number in the email matches your passport. If it does not match, apply again. A quick email is not always an approval, because IRCC also emails you when an eTA needs more information or has been denied, so read it before assuming anything.
Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa)
You may get emails when your application is received, when biometrics are requested and when a decision is made. The approval itself is not delivered by email. When you receive the passport request, submit the same passport you used in your application, because a newer passport may slow processing.
Study Permit and Work Permit
These follow the same account-first pattern. Because they involve more documents, you may get several emails over weeks or months, each asking you to sign in.
How Does IRCC Notify You About Biometrics, Additional Documents, or Passport Submission?
IRCC sends an email telling you to sign in, and the actual request and deadline are in your account. These requests are often more time-sensitive than the decision itself.
Biometrics Request
If you need to give fingerprints and a photo, you will find a Biometric Instruction Letter in your account. You have 30 days from the time you get the letter to give your biometrics, so book your appointment as soon as it arrives, and processing starts only after IRCC receives them. If you cannot make the deadline, use the IRCC web form to explain why you need more time, and include your appointment date and a screenshot of the booking confirmation.
Additional Documents Request
If IRCC needs financial documents, a letter of explanation or updated travel history, the email prompts you to sign in. The details and any deadline are inside the account.
Passport Submission Request
For an approved visitor visa applied for online, the letter in your account tells you how to send your passport. Your original documents, including the passport with the visa inside, are returned to you. eTA applicants skip this step.
From our experience at MS International: attendees who ask us about Canada visas often wait for an email before they log in. Our practical advice is the opposite: sign in the same day any IRCC email arrives, and check the account on your own once the posted processing time has passed.
What Are the Signs That Your Canada Visa Has Been Approved?
For a visitor visa, a letter asking for your passport is the clearest sign. For an eTA, it is the approval email. A “Closed” or “Decision made” status alone can mean approved, refused or withdrawn, so always open the message.
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Letter asking you to submit your passport | Visitor visa approved |
| Letter of introduction in your account | Permit approved while you are outside Canada |
| eTA approval email | eTA approved and linked to your passport |
| “Closed” or “Decision made” with no passport request or approval letter | Open the letter now, it may be a refusal |
| “In progress” or “We received your application” | Still under review, nothing has gone wrong |
How Can You Tell a Real IRCC Email From a Scam?
Check the sender first: official IRCC emails come from a gc.ca or Canada.ca address, and IRCC does not send visas by email. People waiting for a decision are an easy target for fake messages.
- Free webmail sender: IRCC staff do not write from Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo Mail addresses.
- Requests for private information: IRCC will never email you asking for your private information, such as passwords, date of birth or bank and card details.
- Payment requests: IRCC staff will not tell you to put money into a personal bank account or send it through a private money transfer service.
- “Dear client”: some genuine automated IRCC emails use it, so judge the sender address, not the greeting.
If a message worries you, do not click its links or reply. Sign in to your IRCC account directly to see whether the same request is posted there, and report the email through the suspicious email option on IRCC’s fraud reporting page.
What to Do If You Have Not Received an Email
Sign in to your IRCC account first, because a decision or request can be there even if no email reached you. Requests for biometrics, documents or your passport appear there too. A newly submitted online application can take up to 5 days to show up in your account. If it is still missing after that, report a technical problem through the IRCC web form. Then work through the steps below.
If You Live in the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda
IRCC is still processing applications from people whose last country of residence is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda, but it is not finalizing them while its temporary measures run, from 27 May to 27 November 2026. Until then you will not see an approval or a passport request, so a quiet inbox is expected. The rule follows where you lived when you applied, not your citizenship. Do not send your passport to a visa application centre while the measures apply, and check IRCC’s page for any extension.
Check Spam and Confirm Your Email Address
Search your spam, junk and promotions folders for messages from IRCC, because IRCC notes that some spam filters may block its automated emails. If you find one, mark it “not spam”. Then check the contact email in your account for typos or an old address. Updating it will not recover past emails, but future ones will arrive. Do not mail IRCC a change of contact details, because mailed changes are not acknowledged or applied. Use your account or the web form.
Compare with the Processing Time
If you are still inside the normal processing window, the likely reason for silence is that no decision has been made yet. Processing times vary by application type, your country and IRCC’s workload, so check the current times on the IRCC website and compare them with your submission date. If IRCC interviewed you, the wait to get a Canada visa after the interview is usually days to several weeks for a visitor visa, sometimes longer.
Use the Application Status Tool
You can only check status after you receive your AOR letter or email. After that, you can also use IRCC’s Client Application Status tool, which IRCC says is updated daily. It gives less detail than your account.
Contact IRCC
If the processing time has passed and your account shows no update, send an inquiry through the IRCC web form. Have your application number and UCI (Unique Client Identifier) ready. For an eTA, if you get no confirmation email with an application number within 72 hours, use the web form, choose “Electronic Travel Authorization” and then “Case Specific Enquiries”. IRCC says answers can take several days.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
An IRCC notice that does not match what your account shows, silence after a decision, or a refusal message can be confusing, and visitor visa, study permit and eTA applicants wonder whether their emails differ.
Will IRCC send me an email when my Canada visa is approved?
IRCC usually emails you when your account has an update, but the decision is read in your account. Sign in to see the result and next steps. The eTA is the exception: most approvals arrive by email within minutes.
What does the IRCC notification email say?
It typically tells you there is an update and asks you to sign in to your account. Do not expect “approved” or “refused” in the message. Real IRCC emails come from a gc.ca or Canada.ca address, and IRCC never emails a visa.
I got an email but my account shows nothing new. What now?
Open the messages for your application, not just the main page, and sign in with the same method you used to apply. A new application can take up to 5 days to appear. If nothing new shows, send an inquiry through the IRCC web form.
Is a Visitor Visa handled differently from a Study Permit or Work Permit?
The email process is similar: you are told to sign in. What you find differs. An approved visitor visa leads to a passport request, while permits may include a letter of introduction.
Will I get an email for an eTA?
Yes. Most eTAs are approved within minutes and the approval email includes your eTA number. If documents are needed, IRCC emails instructions within 72 hours. IRCC also emails you if an eTA is denied. Keep the passport you applied with.
What if I never received any email from IRCC?
Check spam, then sign in to your account anyway. Your account is where IRCC posts decisions and requests, so a missing email does not mean your application has not moved.
Will I get an email if my application is refused?
For an eTA, yes: IRCC emails you if it is denied. For a visitor visa, study permit or work permit, the refusal letter with the reason is posted in your IRCC account, so expect the same sign-in prompt as for an approval.
How long do I have to give biometrics after the letter?
You have 30 days from the time you get your Biometric Instruction Letter, and processing starts once IRCC receives your biometrics. Book as soon as the letter arrives. If you cannot make it, explain through the IRCC web form and attach your appointment details.
Can IRCC email me my visa?
No. IRCC does not send visas by email, and it will never email you asking for your private information. An email that attaches a visa or asks for payment or passwords is not from IRCC. Sign in to your account directly and report the message.
Conclusion
IRCC does send email notifications, but for visas and permits they point you to your account instead of giving the result. Keep your contact email current, check spam, and sign in to your account whenever an email arrives or the posted processing time passes. If nothing changes, use the IRCC web form. If you are also waiting on a US visa, do not expect an email if your US visa is approved: the US embassy has no general policy of sending one.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Visa rules, fees, and processing times change. Confirm the current requirements on the official IRCC (Canada.ca) website before you apply.
