Japa: Canada’s Immigration Backlog Surges Beyond 1m Applications

Immigration backlog in Canada reached 1,078,300 applications as of August 31, a 7.57% increase from the previous month.

According to Immigration News Canada (INC), the total number of applications under processing stands at 2,420,800, raising concerns for individuals seeking citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary residency.

The increase indicated persistent difficulties in the immigration processing system, as stated in the most recent data published by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on September 24.

The immigration backlog includes nearly 1.1 million delayed applications across various categories, which according to INC, include 38,600 citizenship applications that are currently delayed. At the same time, 190,600 have been processed within the expected timeframes set by the IRCC.

The category also includes 300,800 Permanent Residence applications that were delayed, while 504,800 have been processed on time, and 738,900 Temporary Residence delayed applications, with 647,100 processed within the designated service standards.

The numbers reflect the backlog of applications that have not yet been processed compared to those that have been handled within the expected time limits for each category.

Recent comparisons revealed trends in the backlog and processing times.

Citizenship applications have dropped by 1.02% since July, while permanent residence applications have risen slightly by 0.60%.
In contrast, temporary residence applications surged by 11.21%, driven by higher demand for visas.

According to INC, the processing of applications within service standards has shown mixed results.

Citizenship applications processed within standards fell by 1.50%, while permanent residence saw an increase of 8.04%.

However, temporary residence applications processed within standards dropped by 7.77%.
IRCC has disclosed that it aims to address the backlog through several initiatives, including improved resource allocation and technology use.

They have also projected a 20-30% reduction in backlog by mid-2025, contingent on effectively managing the high demand for temporary residence visas.