Canada Immigration Backlog Now Surges To Nearly 1.1 Million

Canada’s immigration backlog continues to grow as per newly released IRCC data, reaching a staggering 1,078,300 applications across various categories, an increase of 7.57% month-on-month basis.

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published its latest data on September 24, providing a comprehensive look into the status of citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary residency applications.

With a total of 2,420,800 applications under processing as of August 31, the backlog remains a significant concern for prospective immigrants.

This article will dive into the latest statistics, compare them with the previous months’ data, and examine future projections for immigration processing system.

Canadian Immigration Backlog Comparison

The current immigration backlog as of August 31 was substantial, with nearly 1.1 million applications delayed across citizenship, permanent residence, and temporary residence categories.

Backlog Comparison:

• Citizenship applications have decreased by 1.02% since July, continuing a positive trend from previous months.
• Permanent residence applications have seen a slight increase of 0.60%, indicating steady processing.
• Temporary residence applications, however, surged by 11.21%, marking the most significant increase, primarily due to the growing demand for student, visitor, and work visas.

Applications Processed Within Service Standards:

• Citizenship applications processed within service standards dropped by 1.50%, continuing the downward trend seen in earlier months.
• Permanent residence applications processed within service standards increased by 8.04%, showcasing improvement in the department’s processing capacity.
• Temporary residence applications also dropped by 7.77%, which may suggest that most of these applications might have fallen into backlog.

Future Projections for Canada’s Immigration Backlog

Looking ahead, IRCC is focused on several initiatives to reduce the backlog. The department aims to process an increasing number of applications within service standards, particularly in the areas of permanent residence and temporary residence, where the backlog is most substantial.

The IRCC has projected a 20-30% reduction in backlog by mid-2025. This will be achieved through the expansion of technological solutions, better resource allocation, and ongoing reforms to streamline the application process.

However, much of the success will depend on managing the rising demand for temporary residence visas, as this category has shown the largest increase in both backlog and total applications.

Impact on Applicants

The growing backlog, particularly in the temporary residence category, continues to affect prospective immigrants, international students, and workers.

With 738,900 applications currently stuck in the backlog, applicants might experience extended processing times.

However, the rise in permanent residence applications being processed within service standards is a promising sign for those seeking a path to long-term settlement.

As IRCC continues to implement its improvements, applicants are encouraged to keep a close eye on processing times and ensure that their applications are complete and up to date-to-avoid unnecessary delays.

Key Takeaways

• As of August 31, 2024, the Canadian immigration backlog nears 1.1 million applications, with temporary residence seeing the largest increase.
• Citizenship and permanent residence applications are seeing a gradual decrease in backlog, suggesting better management by IRCC.
• Future projections indicate a potential 20-30% reduction in backlog by mid-2025, but challenges remain in the high-demand temporary residence category.