Current Status of Canada Immigration Applications

Introduction

As demand for immigration to Canada continues to rise, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) faces new challenges in managing immigration applications. As of September 30, the IRCC is dealing with a significant backlog of applications, reaching 996,700, marking the highest level recorded since November 2024. This situation highlights a concerning trend in the immigration sector. In this article, we will conduct a detailed examination of the current status of permanent, temporary, and citizenship applications in Canada, drawing insights from recent statistics.

In 2025, the IRCC's application inventory stood at 2,200,100, indicating an urgent need for improvements in processing systems. We will also delve into the specifics of permanent residency applications, temporary residency applications, and citizenship applications to provide readers with a clearer understanding of the current landscape and how they can navigate through these processes more effectively.

Given the ongoing changes and challenges, this article aims to address common questions and concerns from immigrants and offer solutions for better management of applications and expedited processes. Ultimately, our goal is to keep readers informed about the latest news and developments in the Canadian immigration landscape, helping them on their journey to migrate.

Status of Permanent Residency Applications

As of September 30, the IRCC's inventory includes 913,800 permanent residency applications, encompassing Express Entry, Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and family sponsorship applications. According to available data, 431,400 applications (47%) are being processed within the department’s service standards. This indicates that 482,400 applications remain in backlog, showing a significant rise from the previous month.

It appears that 21% of Express Entry applications are categorized as backlog, slightly up from 20% at the end of August. For Express Entry-aligned PNP applications, the percentage in backlog was 47% by the end of September, marking the lowest rate since March 2025. Furthermore, the backlog for family sponsorship applications increased from 17% at the end of August to 19% by the end of September, which is the highest percentage of family sponsorship applications in backlog since June 2023.

Status of Temporary Residency Applications

As of September 30, the IRCC is managing 1,028,500 temporary residency applications. Out of these, 567,400 (55%) are being processed within the department’s service standards. This means that 461,100 temporary residency applications, which include work permits, study permits, and visitor visas, remain in backlog. The percentage of work permit applications in backlog increased from 45% at the end of August to 48% by September 30.

Additionally, the backlog for study permits has surged significantly to 42%, compared to a projected backlog of 34%. Last month, only 32% of applications were considered backlog. This represents the highest study permit backlog since February of this year. Conversely, the percentage of backlog for visitor visas decreased slightly from 60% at the end of August to 57% at the end of September, though this remains above the IRCC's projected backlog of 53% for September.

Status of Citizenship Applications

As of the end of September, the IRCC has 257,800 citizenship applications in its inventory, with 204,600 (79%) being processed within the department’s service standards. This leaves 53,200 (21%) in backlog, which is a slight increase from the previous month where 20% of citizenship applications were in backlog. This increase may be attributed to the rising demand for citizenship and the complexity of certain cases.

Understanding IRCC's Backlog

An immigration application enters IRCC's backlog when its processing exceeds the department's published service standards. These standards serve as targets for how long different types of applications should normally take to process. For instance, IRCC aims to process most Express Entry applications within six months and family sponsorship applications within 12 months. Cases that exceed these thresholds—such as an Express Entry file taking longer than six months or a family sponsorship application exceeding 12 months—are included in the backlog.

IRCC aims to complete 80% of all applications within service standards, recognizing that the remaining 20% often involve more complex situations requiring extra documentation, closer review, or additional decision-making time.

Conclusion

Examining the current status of immigration applications to Canada reveals serious challenges in managing and processing these applications. The increasing number of applications and the high backlog emphasize the importance of understanding the processes and service standards for immigrants.

Immigrants should recognize that despite the rise in applications, IRCC is striving to adhere to its service standards while continuously making improvements to its processes. Additionally, awareness of the status of each type of application and keeping track of it can help immigrants make better decisions in this process.

Ultimately, as the demand for immigration to Canada continues to grow, it is hoped that IRCC will respond to these challenges using technology and process improvements, enabling immigrants to reach their goals more efficiently and effectively.