Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released new info about how many immigration applications are still waiting to be processed.
As of July 31, 2024, the total number of applications for citizenship, immigration, and visas has reached a record high of 2,364,700.
Immigration News Canada wrote a detailed report about this update, showing the current challenges in Canada’s immigration process.
Category-Wise Backlog Overview:
The IRCC shared that, as of July 31, 2024, there are 1,002,400 applications that are past the normal processing time. This is the first time the backlog has been this high since November 2022.
Here’s a breakdown of the backlog by application type:
- Citizenship: 39,000 applications are delayed, while 193,500 are still being processed within the expected time.
- Permanent Residence: 299,000 applications are delayed, and 467,200 are being processed on time.
This means that 299,000 people are waiting longer than expected for their Permanent Residence applications. Meanwhile, 467,200 applications are being handled within the normal time frame.
For Temporary Residence applications:
Temporary Residence: This category has the biggest backlog. There are 664,400 delayed applications, and 701,600 are being processed on time.
So, 664,400 people are waiting longer than they should be for their Temporary Residence applications. But, 701,600 applications are being handled on time.
These numbers show that while many Temporary Residence applications are being processed on time, a large number are facing delays.
Comparison with Previous Data:
Looking at the data from June 30 to July 31:
- Citizenship: The backlog decreased by 3.70%. This means fewer people are waiting for their citizenship applications compared to the previous month.
- Permanent Residence: The backlog decreased by 0.93%. This is a small improvement in processing times for Permanent Residence applications.
- Temporary Residence: The backlog increased by 11.80%. More people are waiting longer for their Temporary Residence applications compared to the previous month.
Overall, the total backlog grew by 7.02% over the two-month period, largely because of the increase in Temporary Residence applications.
Future Backlog Projections:
The IRCC expects the backlog to decrease by 20-30% by mid-2025. However, the results for the end of August 2024 show mixed outcomes:
- For Citizenship, an expected backlog of 16%, but the actual backlog was 17% at the end of July.
- Express Entry: Projected at 15%, which matches the previous estimate.
- Temporary Resident Visas (TRV): The backlog is expected to reduce from 64% to 43%.
- Study Permits: The backlog is projected to be 18%, down from 24% in July.
This indicates some improvement for Study Permits, with a decrease in the percentage of pending applications.
Implications for Applicants
- The IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within service standards, considering a backlog below 20% as normal.
- The agency has met this goal for citizenship, express entry, and family sponsorship applications. But temporary residence categories still face big delays.
- The increase in new applications for temporary resident visas, study permits, and work permits has made the backlog even worse in these areas.