Canada’s immigration backlog has decreased to 821,200 as of March 2025, marking a 7.95% decline from 892,100 in January.
This reduction marks the third consecutive month the backlog has remained below one million, reflecting improved processing efforts by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
According to TravelBiz, as of February 2025, a total of 2,029,400 immigration applications were in progress, with 1,208,200 processed within the department’s service standards.
Immigration application trends
The IRCC processes applications for various immigration categories, including Express Entry and family sponsorships, with set service standards. For Express Entry applications, the expected processing time is six months, and for family sponsorships, the expected time is 12 months.
Reports inform that the IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within these timelines, with the remaining 20% taking longer due to complexities or additional requirements.
Steady decline in backlog
Since September 2024, the immigration backlog has steadily decreased. In that month, the backlog stood at over one million, but by February 2025, it had fallen to 821,200. This consistent reduction demonstrates that IRCC has improved its application processing capabilities.
- September 2024: The backlog count was 1,097,000, and it increased by 1.73% compared to the previous month.
- October 2024: The backlog decreased by 3.73%, bringing the count to 1,056,100.
- November 2024: The backlog decreased further by 4.70%, bringing the count to 1,006,500.
- December 2024: There was another decrease of 6.38%, with the backlog at 942,300.
- January 2025: The backlog count dropped by 5.33%, reducing it to 892,100.
- February 2025: The backlog decreased significantly by 7.95%, bringing the count to 821,200.
The backlog count is generally decreasing month over month, with a significant drop of nearly 8% in February 2025 compared to January 2025.
Permanent residence and temporary resident backlog
As of February 2025, IRCC was processing 842,600 permanent residence applications, including those under Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and family sponsorships.
- Of these, 478,600 applications (57%) were processed within service standards, while 364,000 remained in the backlog. Delays in Express Entry applications remained high, with 25% not meeting the six-month processing target, surpassing the 20% threshold.
- The PNP backlog rose to 36%, up from 30% in January, while the family sponsorship backlog slightly improved, decreasing from 15% to 14%.
Visitor visas faced the highest backlog, with 65% of applications delayed, far exceeding the IRCC’s target of 50%. Study permits had a 45% backlog, while work permits showed the lowest delay rate at 34%, marking the lowest backlog since July 2023.
IRCC’s strategies to manage backlog
To manage the volume of applications, IRCC has introduced several strategies aimed at reducing delays:
- Automation & Digital Processing: More than 80% of visitor visa applications are now processed through automated systems, speeding up the process. AI-driven analytics also assist with straightforward applications, further improving efficiency.
- Study Permit Caps: To manage workload, IRCC has reduced the number of new international student permits by 35% for 2024, capping the total at 360,000 study permits for the year.
- Stable Immigration Targets: Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025–2027 maintains stable immigration targets, aiming for 485,000 permanent residents in 2025 and 500,000 in both 2026 and 2027. This stability is expected to help improve processing predictability.
Impact on travelers and immigrants
The reduction in the immigration backlog has led to faster processing times, benefiting applicants seeking to travel, study, or immigrate to Canada. This progress is expected to reduce uncertainty and streamline transitions for those in the immigration process. However, significant delays persist for some categories of applications, such as visitor visas and study permits, and applicants are advised to plan ahead.
IRCC’s efforts to improve efficiency, such as automation, application caps, and stable immigration targets, are expected to continue driving faster processing times. Nonetheless, applicants for certain types of visas must still navigate delays, underscoring the importance of timely and careful planning.
