"A controlled creature can be commanded to perform a service for you…taking any other action that can be accomplished within 1 round per caster level counts as an immediate task; you need not make any agreement or pay any reward for the creature’s help."
Efreet cast Wish as a spell-like ability requiring just one standard action. The Efreet does not have to MAKE the Candle of Invocation, the SPELL wish "creates" the magic item within the casting time (1 standard action). That's right there in the text of the wish spell. You're not commanding the Efreet to craft a candle for you, you're commanding the Efreet to cast the wish spell to create the candle for you, which takes one standard action, and which fits just fine in the definition of immediate task requiring no agreement or payment.
I understand you want to houserule it different, and that's fine, but why isn't that a good answer for cantrips too?
Yes, it tells you right in the Wish spell, that it takes 1 standard action. You're not actually personally crafting a magic item, you're wishing it into existence. There is nothing in the text of the spell that supports your claim. If you had to follow item creation rules, you wouldn't need the spell at all as you would just follow item creation rules! This is why they tell you all the times involved with spellcasting, in the spell itself.
