Canada’s Immigration Backlog Crosses One Million as Express Entry Delays Intensify

Immigration Processing Delays Reach a New High

Canada’s immigration system is facing mounting pressure as the total number of backlogged applications has now exceeded one million. Newly released figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for October 2025 confirm a steady rise in delays, with Express Entry applications seeing a sharp increase in backlog levels.

By the end of October, IRCC was handling 2,182,200 applications across all streams, of which 1,006,700 were beyond published service standards, officially placing them in backlog.

Backlog Growth Accelerates in the Second Half of 2025

After declining during the first four months of the year, the immigration backlog began rising again in May and has continued to climb every month since.

From January to April 2025, backlog numbers steadily decreased, dropping from 891,100 to 760,200. However, by October 2025, the backlog had increased to 1,006,700, marking a return to levels last seen during peak post-pandemic processing challenges.

This upward trend highlights growing strain on IRCC’s processing capacity amid policy changes, rising application volumes, and increased scrutiny of files.

Permanent Residence Applications Face Rising Delays

As of October 31, IRCC held 928,800 permanent residence applications in its inventory. This included files under Express Entry, Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Programs, and family sponsorship categories.

Only 46% of PR applications were being processed within service standards, leaving 501,300 permanent residence files in backlog.

Express Entry experienced one of the most notable setbacks:

• 27% of Express Entry applications were classified as backlog, up sharply from 21% in September
• This figure significantly exceeds IRCC’s target backlog level of 20%

Express Entry-aligned PNP applications also saw delays worsen, with 51% now backlogged, the highest level recorded since early 2022.

Family sponsorship applications remained relatively stable, with 20% classified as backlog, aligning with government projections.

Despite delays, IRCC finalized 377,100 permanent residence decisions between January and October 2025, welcoming 343,400 new permanent residents during the same period.

Temporary Residence Backlog Shows Mixed Results

Temporary residence inventories showed a modest improvement overall, declining from 1,028,500 in September to 999,100 in October. However, backlog pressures remain uneven across categories.

• Work permits: Backlog increased to 50%, exceeding the department’s target of 39%
• Study permits: Backlog declined slightly to 41%, marking the first decrease since July 2025, though still above the 30% target
• Visitor visas: Backlog held steady at 57%, matching IRCC’s projections

Between January and October 2025, IRCC finalized over 1.1 million work permit applications and more than 500,000 study permit applications, reflecting continued high demand despite stricter policies.

Citizenship Applications Continue to Accumulate

Citizenship processing also faced ongoing delays. As of October 31, IRCC had 254,300 citizenship grant applications in its inventory.

While 78% were within service standards, the remaining 22% (54,800 applications) were backlogged. This marked the fourth consecutive month of backlog growth in citizenship processing.

From April through October 2025, Canada welcomed 156,500 new citizens, demonstrating steady intake despite slower processing timelines.

Understanding IRCC Service Standards

IRCC service standards represent the department’s target timeframes for processing applications. For example:

• Express Entry: six months
• Family sponsorship: twelve months

IRCC aims to finalize 80% of applications within these timelines, acknowledging that complex cases may require additional time due to background checks, document reviews, or further verification.

For a consultation about Immigration options, reach out to the CAD IMMIGRATION today!