Programme guides · Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) · Japan Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Visa · Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment · US EB-5 Investor Immigration · Portugal Golden Visa (Fund Investment) · British Columbia BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration
Processing Time Ranking 2026: From Weeks to Years Across Major Programmes
Global Immigrate consultants · Published
Written by Global Immigrate consultants · Reviewed by Oscar Yip, Founder & Managing Director
Summary
Processing times vary widely: Hong Kong TTPS about 4–6 weeks, Japan status about 1–3 months, CBI about 4–12 months, while European golden visas and Canadian PNPs can take longer. This article compares bands.
Short answer: By processing speed, Hong Kong TTPS and some Japan visas are faster; Caribbean/Vanuatu CBI often within a year; US EB-5, European golden visas and Canadian provincial entrepreneur streams may take longer depending on backlog and operations.
Rough time bands
Band
Examples
Rough timing
Faster
Hong Kong TTPS, Japan status
Weeks to a few months
Medium
CBI, some Middle East residence
About 3–12 months
Longer
EB-5 backlog, European GV, provincial entrepreneur
One to several years
How to choose
Time-sensitive: prioritise faster programmes you qualify for.
Status type matters more: accept longer timelines for green card or PR.
