IRCC Backlog Continues to Decline as of January 2025
In a promising development for Canada’s immigration system, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reported continued progress in reducing its application backlog. For the second consecutive month, the total backlog of applications has dropped below the one-million mark, with the most recent figures showing a reduction to 892,100 as of January 31, 2025. This marks a 5.33% decrease from December 2024, when the backlog stood at 942,300.
A Glimpse into the Recent Backlog Reduction
The IRCC’s backlog has been on a steady decline in recent months. Here’s a breakdown of the backlog over the past six months:
| Month | Immigration Backlog |
|---|---|
| August 31, 2024 | 1,078,300 |
| September 30, 2024 | 1,097,000 |
| October 31, 2024 | 1,056,100 |
| November 30, 2024 | 1,006,500 |
| December 31, 2024 | 942,300 |
| January 31, 2025 | 892,100 |
Alongside the decreasing backlog, the total number of applications in the IRCC’s inventory has also shrunk. As of January 31, 2025, the overall inventory stands at 2,076,600, down from 2,119,900 in December 2024. The number of applications processed within the service standards has increased slightly, from 1,177,600 in December to 1,184,500 in January.
Defining the Backlog
In the context of immigration processing, an application is considered part of the backlog if it exceeds the service standards set by IRCC. These service standards are timelines IRCC considers reasonable for processing different types of applications.
For instance, Express Entry applications are expected to be processed within six months, while family sponsorship applications have a service standard of 12 months. Applications that exceed these timelines are considered to be in backlog.
Breakdown of Current Backlog by Program
Permanent Resident Applications
As of January 31, 2025, IRCC had 839,900 permanent resident applications in its inventory, which include those under the Express Entry program, Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams, and family sponsorship programs. Of these, 483,500 (58%) were processed within service standards, leaving 356,400 applications in the backlog.
Notably, Express Entry applications are performing better, with only 20% of such applications considered backlog, meeting the service standard of processing 80% within six months. However, PNP applications have seen an increase in backlog, rising from 25% at the end of December 2024 to 30% as of January 2025. Family sponsorship applications, on the other hand, have maintained a relatively steady backlog of 15%.
Temporary Resident Permit Applications
Temporary residency applications, including work permits, study permits, and visitor visas, are currently facing a larger backlog. Of the 998,100 applications in total, 504,400 (51%) were processed within the service standards, leaving 493,700 applications in backlog.
Visitor visa applications account for the highest backlog percentage, with 71% of applications still awaiting processing, compared to the projected backlog of 62%. The backlog for study permits has increased slightly, rising from 43% in December to 45% in January. However, work permit applications have seen a positive shift, with the backlog percentage dropping significantly from 57% at the end of December 2024 to 42% as of January 2025. This suggests that IRCC may be prioritizing work permit applications in response to increasing demand.
Citizenship Applications
The backlog for citizenship applications remains relatively low. As of January 31, there were 238,600 applications, of which 196,600 (82%) were processed within the service standards, leaving only 18% of citizenship applications in backlog.
Strategies for Backlog Reduction
The reduction in the IRCC backlog can be attributed to various strategies outlined in Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027, which was released in October 2024. The plan includes a reduction in the targets for permanent resident (PR) admissions over the next three years. Additionally, the government has introduced caps on certain immigration programs. In January 2025, a cap was placed on study permit applications for the year, and restrictions were also applied to the intake of permanent resident applications under the Agri-Food Pilot.
By lowering these targets and placing caps on some immigration programs, Canada aims to better manage the volume of applications and ensure that backlogs are reduced over time.
However, the federal government has also announced plans to cut approximately 3,300 jobs in IRCC over the next three years, which has raised concerns about potential delays in processing. While the government insists that these job reductions are a direct response to the reduced immigration levels, the impact of these cuts on the overall processing times remains to be seen.
Looking Ahead
While the IRCC backlog is showing signs of steady improvement, the coming months will likely bring new challenges as Canada navigates its changing immigration landscape. With immigration caps in place and potential job reductions at IRCC, the impact on processing times and backlogs will continue to be closely monitored.
For now, the decline in the backlog is a positive step toward managing Canada’s immigration system more efficiently, ensuring that more applicants receive timely decisions in the months to come.
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