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Canada Immigration Backlog Remains High As Per New IRCC Update

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6 months ago

June 25, 2024

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Canada Immigration Backlog Remains High As Per New IRCC Update

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Last Updated On 25 June 2024, 10:38 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

Canada’s immigration system continues to face challenges as it deals with a high volume of new applications and existing inventory falling into backlog.

Recent data released by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on June 24, 2024, provides a detailed overview of the current backlog and the progress being made.

As of May 31, 2024, the IRCC reports a total of 2,220,000 applications for citizenship, permanent residence, and temporary residence under processing.

Out of these, 878,400 applications are classified as backlogged, meaning they exceed the usual IRCC service standards.

This figure represents a slight improvement from April’s backlog of 897,100 applications, indicating some progress but underscoring the continued high volume of pending applications.

IRCC has a service standard of processing 80% of the applications within the quoted processing time for a particular category. Click here for category-wise IRCC service standards.

Breakdown of Overall Processing Inventory

IRCC Broad Categories	Total Applications As Of May 31, 2024
Citizenship	208,200
Permanent Residence	444,700
Temporary Residence	688,700
Total	2,220,000

IRCC processing inventory as of May 31

Breakdown of Backlog and Processing Standards

There has been improvement in the backlog for all the major immigration business lines, as per the latest data listed below:

Citizenship Applications: Significant progress has been made in this category, with only 17% of total applications backlogged.
- The number of backlogged citizenship applications decreased from 47,400 in April to 43,000 as of May 31, 2024, marking a 9.2% improvement.
Permanent Residence Applications: There were 300,600 applications in backlog at the end of May, a slight decrease from 302,400 at the end of April.
- This marks just about 0.6% improvement from last backlog data.
Temporary Residency Applications: The backlog was reduced from 548,100 in April to 534,800 in May 2024, registering about 2.4% improvement in backlog.
- Simultaneously, temporary residency applications processed within service standards increased from 661,300 to 688,700, indicating an increase in new applications.

Categories Facing Challenges

Despite these improvements, certain categories continue to experience significant delays.

The IRCC is still not meeting the service standards for the below categories, with more than 20% of applications in backlog, reflecting ongoing challenges in processing these types of applications efficiently.

Express Entry Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): 24% are in backlog
Temporary Resident Visas: 58% are in backlog
Work Permits: 53% are in backlog

IRCC is now able to meet service standards for the rest of the citizenship, immigration, and temporary visa categories.

IRCC’s Service Standards and Projections

The IRCC’s service standards are designed to ensure that 80% of applications are processed within a specific timeframe, which varies depending on the type of application.

These standards are crucial benchmarks for measuring the efficiency of the immigration system.

The IRCC’s projections indicate a continued focus on reducing the backlog and improving service standards.

Category	Actual Backlog	What IRCC Projected by End of May 2024
Citizenship	17%	17%
Express Entry	15%	15%
Express Entry PNP	24%	20%
Spouses, partners, and children (except for Quebec)	14%	15%
Temporary Resident Visas (TRV)	58%	60%
Study Permits	19%	13%
Work Permits	53%	45%

IRCC Backlog: Actual vs Projections

Monthly IRCC Backlog Updates (Last 12 months)

Below are the IRCC monthly backlog updates for the last 12 months.

Backlog Update Date	Applications In Backlog	Total Applications Under Processing	Backlog Net Age Change month-on-month
May 31, 2024	878,400	1,341,600	-2.08%
April 30, 2024	897,100	1,323,100	+0.57%
March 31, 2024	892,000	1,320,000	-0.80%
February 29, 2024	899,150	1,227,050	-3.32%
January 31, 2024	930,000	2,188,400	-2.05%
December 31, 2023	949,500	2,221,100	+6.65%
November 30, 2023	890,300	2,092,700	-4.93%
October 31, 2023	936,500	2,166,800	0.86%
September 30, 2023	928,500	2,194,900	9.9%
August 31, 2023	844,700	2,198,700	5.2%
July 31, 2023	802,600	2,274,600	0.2%
June 30, 2023	801,000	2,264,000	-2.3%
May 31, 2023	820,000	2,248,000	1.4%

Monthly IRCC Backlog data (last 12 months)

Canada’s immigration backlog remains a significant challenge, but recent data indicates that slight progress is being made.

The IRCC’s efforts to streamline processes, increase staffing, and leverage technology are essential steps toward reducing delays and meeting service standards.

As Canada aims to welcome 485,000 new immigrants in 2024, addressing the backlog will be critical to achieving these ambitious targets and maintaining the country’s reputation as a top destination for immigrants.

By understanding the current state of Canada’s immigration backlog and the measures being taken to address it, prospective immigrants can better navigate the application process and plan their futures in Canada.

What is the current status of the Canadian immigration backlog?

As of May 31, 2024, there are 2,220,000 applications under processing for citizenship, permanent residence, and temporary residence.

Out of these, 878,400 applications are backlogged, exceeding the usual IRCC service standards.

How does the current backlog compare to previous months?

The backlog has seen a slight improvement, decreasing from 897,100 applications in April to 878,400 as of May 31, 2024.

How is the IRCC performing in meeting its service standards?

IRCC has met the service standards for citizenship, study permits, express entry, and spousal sponsorship applications, with less than 20% of these applications under backlog.

However, they are still struggling with express entry PNPs, temporary resident visas, and work permits, where more than 20% of applications remain backlogged.

What are Canada’s immigration targets for 2024?

Canada aims to welcome 485,000 new immigrants in 2024, as per the most recent Canadian immigration levels plan announced for 2024–2026.

Which categories have seen significant reductions in backlog?

Citizenship applications have seen a significant reduction in backlog, with only 17% of total applications now backlogged.

The number of backlogged citizenship applications decreased from 47,400 in April to 43,000 in May 2024.

Satinder brings expertise, knowledge, and experience related to internal work flows at IRCC. She worked at Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh before moving to Canada. Her articles on “Chinook – An internal IRCC tool used to bulk process temporary applications” was one of the notable work on our news website