Canada’s Immigration Backlog Surges to 2.2 Million as System Faces Major Strain
Canada’s immigration processing system continues to face one of its most severe backlogs in recent years. New data released on November 18, 2025, reveals that more than 2.2 million applications—spanning citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary residency—were still under review as of September 30.
Despite ongoing efforts to stabilize processing times, the overall inventory remains essentially unchanged from August, indicating that new applications continue to flow in at nearly the same rate that IRCC can finalize them.
This latest update offers a detailed snapshot of the growing pressure on immigration services, the declining number of newcomers entering the country, and the broad impact of federal policy changes introduced over the past two years.
Overall Backlog Reaches 2.2 Million Applications
As of September 30, IRCC was processing 2,200,100 applications, barely different from the 2,199,400 reported in August.
However, the number of applications considered backlogged—those outside normal service standards—rose significantly to 996,700, an increase of nearly 95,000 since July.
Breakdown of Backlog Growth
- 0Permanent residency backlogs increased by nearly 39,000 applications
- Temporary residency backlogs increased by more than 51,000 applications
- Citizenship backlogs showed a gradual but consistent rise
The growing backlog illustrates one clear issue: despite attempts to manage the intake, the volume of new submissions continues to challenge processing capacity.
Permanent Resident Admissions Expected to Overshoot 2025 Targets
Between January and September 2025, IRCC issued decisions on 335,500 PR applications and welcomed 310,500 new permanent residents.
At this pace, Canada is projected to land approximately 414,000 permanent residents by the end of the year—well above the official 2025 target of 395,000.
Much of this growth comes from two major trends:
- A large number of temporary residents transitioning to PR within Canada
- Strong output in economic immigration categories
Between January and September alone, more than 154,000 temporary residents became permanent residents, representing almost half of all PR admissions in 2025.
However, analysts expect processing to slow down in late 2025 as the government attempts to bring final numbers closer to target.
Citizenship Processing Volume Rises but Backlogs Persist
From April to September 2025, Canada welcomed 128,100 new citizens.
Despite consistent processing, the overall citizenship inventory remains high at 257,800 applications, with 53,200 counted as backlogged.
Applicants continue to experience long waits for citizenship tests, security clearances, and oath ceremonies. The steadily rising backlog suggests that immediate improvements in processing times are unlikely.
Temporary Residency Dominates IRCC Workload With Over 1 Million Files
Temporary residency—covering study permits, work permits, and visitor visas—remains the largest category in IRCC’s system. As of September 30, the temporary residency inventory stood at 1,028,500 applications.
From January to September 2025, IRCC finalized:
- 451,300 study permit applications, including extensions
- 1,016,500 work permit applications, including extensions
This amounts to over 1.46 million temporary residency decisions in just nine months.
But despite this heavy output, new arrivals are dropping sharply due to strict federal caps and policy changes.
International Student Arrivals Decline by 60%
Canada’s post-secondary sector continues to experience major shifts.
New international student arrivals between January and September 2025 fell by 60%, a drop of 150,220 students compared to the same period last year.
This dramatic decline stems from:
- The national cap on study permits introduced in 2024
- An additional 10% reduction in 2025
- Mandatory acceptance-letter verification
- Higher financial proof requirements
While typical arrival cycles remain visible—particularly August and December—the overall intake has dropped to historically low levels.
New Temporary Worker Arrivals Fall by 48%
Worker arrivals also fell sharply in the first nine months of 2025.
Compared to 2024, Canada saw 158,660 fewer new temporary workers, representing a 48% decline.
Key contributing factors include:
- Caps limiting low-wage hiring to 10% in most sectors
- Exceptions allowing 20% only in limited in-demand industries
- Automatic refusals for low-wage LMIA applications in regions with unemployment over 6%
- Significant PGWP reforms
- Restrictions on spousal open work permits
In September 2025, only 17,515 new workers arrived in Canada, reflecting a substantial policy shift away from foreign labour reliance.
Number of Temporary Residents in Canada Remains High
Even though new arrivals are dropping, Canada still hosts a large temporary resident population. As of September 2025:
- 473,860 individuals hold only a study permit
- 1,494,900 individuals hold only a work permit
- 251,300 individuals hold both a study and work permit
This downward trend reflects fewer newly authorized students and fewer temporary workers who enter Canada while also studying.
Why Total Temporary Resident Levels Remain High
Despite major declines in new arrivals, temporary resident numbers remain elevated due to:
- Older applications still being processed
- High volume of in-Canada permit extensions
- Large groups of past permit holders still present
- Ongoing PR transitions that take months to finalize
Meaningful reductions in the overall temporary population will only appear once older files are cleared and earlier cohorts cycle out.
How New Arrivals Are Counted
Arrival data includes only individuals who entered Canada for the first time that year under a temporary permit.
It does not include:
- Asylum claimants
- Permit extensions
- Seasonal agricultural workers
- Short-term TFWP workers whose stay is contained within a single year
This method ensures that the statistics reflect actual, new demand on housing, services, and infrastructure.
Conclusion
The September 2025 update paints a clear picture: Canada’s immigration system is undergoing a major structural transformation.
With:
- Over 2.2 million applications still under processing
- Nearly 1 million backlogged
- International student arrivals down 60%
- Temporary worker arrivals down 48%
- Permanent resident admissions trending above annual targets
…it is evident that Canada is shifting toward a system that prioritizes in-country applicants while greatly reducing new arrivals from abroad.
This marks one of the most significant realignments in Canada’s immigration strategy in decades.
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