Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Long delays are a well-known feature of Canadian immigration processing, but the Nairobi visa office stands out for its extraordinarily long processing times. In 2009 processing times got slower at Nairobi. In 2008, half of privately sponsored refugees waited more than 40 months. As of mid-2009 the visa processing time was up to 42 months (3½ years). Nairobi is by far the slowest visa office for privately sponsored refugees.

Family members of refugees in Canada also face excruciatingly long waits if their case is being processed in Nairobi.

The Nairobi visa office serves a huge area (18 countries and nearly 7 million km2), processes a large number of applications and is under-resourced for the task it faces. The area covered by the Nairobi visa office is also one that hosts a very large number of refugees, many of them in need of resettlement.

The extremely long processing times are unacceptable. The disproportionately long times for Africans processed through Nairobi is discriminatory in effect, even if not in intention.

For more information

Media release, Long delays at Nairobi visa office decried, 2 November 2009

Report: Nairobi: Protection delayed, protection denied, October 2009