Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reported a reduction in its application backlog. As of November 30, the backlog stood at 1,006,500 applications. This marks a 4.7 percent decrease compared to the 1,056,100 applications reported on October 31.
The overall application inventory also showed a downward trend. At the end of October, it was 2,406,000 applications, and by the end of November, it had decreased to 2,267,700.
While the backlog shrank, the number of applications processed within IRCC’s service standards also dropped. The number of applications processed within reasonable timelines fell to 1,261,200.
IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within set standards; however, 20% may take longer due to complexity. Processing times may exceed benchmarks with increased applications or complicated cases.
As of November, IRCC’s permanent residence inventory was 828,600, with 318,000 in backlog, up from 311,100 in October. This includes Express Entry, PNPs, and family sponsorships outside Quebec.
The backlog for Express Entry programs fell slightly. By the end of November, it stood at 18 percent, down from 19 percent in October. However, this figure is still above IRCC’s projected target of 15 percent.
The backlog for Express Entry-aligned PNPs also declined. It fell to 24 percent in November, down from 25 percent the previous month. The target backlog for these programs is set at 20 percent.
Family sponsorship for spouses, partners, and children improved slightly, with the backlog decreasing from 15% in October to 14% in November, below the expected 15%.
Temporary resident applications made up a large part of the backlog. Out of 1,212,000 applications, 649,400 remained, representing 54 percent.
The highest backlog percentage was for visitor visa applications. As of November, 75 percent of them were pending, the highest rate recorded since January 2022.
Study permit applications also contributed to the backlog. By the end of November, 36 percent of study permit applications were still pending, while work permit applications had a 51 percent backlog rate.
Citizenship applications remained stable at 227,100, with 39,100 in backlog, unchanged at 17 percent from last month.
The update comes as IRCC takes steps to reduce immigration targets. The Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027 introduced lower targets for permanent residents over the next three years and set new targets for temporary resident admissions.
In January, the government announced it would not accept new applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in 2025. Instead, starting in 2024, IRCC will focus on processing existing family sponsorship applications under the PGP.
Other measures to reduce the backlog include prioritizing essential worker applications and utilizing advanced analytics. Automated technology is also used to expedite spousal and partner applications within the family class.
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