Canada’s Immigration Backlog Continues to Improve: Inventory Drops to 892,000 in the First Month of 2025
Total Backlog Stays Below One Million for Two Consecutive Months
According to data released by IRCC on January 31, 2025, the total immigration backlog stood at 892,000 cases, down 5.33% from 942,000 at the end of December 2024. Since August 2024, the backlog has decreased by a total of 17.3%. During the same period, IRCC’s total inventory of applications fell from 2.119 million to 2.076 million, with the number of applications processed within service standards increasing from 1.177 million to 1.184 million.
Definition and Classification of Backlogs
IRCC defines a “backlog” as applications that exceed its published service standards. For example, Express Entry applications exceeding six months and family sponsorship applications exceeding 12 months are considered backlogged. The latest data shows significant differences across application categories.
Permanent Resident Programs: Surge in Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Backlogs
As of the end of January 2025, there were 839,000 permanent residence applications, with 58% processed within service standards and a backlog rate of 42%.
- Express Entry: 20% of applications exceeded processing time limits (80% still met the six-month processing target).
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP, Express Entry stream): The backlog rate increased from 25% in December 2024 to 30%.
- Family Sponsorship: The backlog rate remained stable at 15%, aligning with expectations.
Temporary Resident Programs: Visitor Visa Backlog Hits 71%
Among 998,000 temporary resident applications, only 504,000 (51%) were processed on time, leaving a backlog of 493,000 cases. There were stark differences across categories:
- Visitor visas: 71% of applications were backlogged, 9 percentage points above expectations.
- Study permits: The backlog rate increased from 43% to 45%.
- Work permits: The backlog rate dropped sharply from 57% to 42%, indicating a significant improvement in processing efficiency.
Citizenship Applications: 82% Processed on Time
Among 238,000 citizenship applications, 82% met service standards, with a backlog rate of just 18%—the lowest among all categories.
Policy Adjustments and Potential Challenges
To further address backlog issues, the Canadian government released the 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan in October 2024, which aims to reduce permanent residence intake targets over the next three years and set caps on certain immigration programs.
At the beginning of 2025, the government implemented intake caps for study permits and permanent residence applications under the Agri-Food Pilot; the latter has already reached its annual quota and is no longer accepting new applications. Additionally, IRCC has announced plans to cut approximately 3,300 jobs over the next three years, raising concerns about processing efficiency and potential delays. Balancing process optimization and human resource adjustments will be a key challenge for Canada’s future immigration management.
- Study permit application caps for 2025
- Permanent residence application limits under the Agri-Food Pilot
- Planned reduction of approximately 3,300 jobs over the next three years
Conclusion
IRCC has recently made progress in reducing application volumes and improving processing efficiency, but key areas such as PNP, visitor visas, and study permits continue to face significant pressure. Moving forward, how the Canadian government manages both job cuts and lower immigration targets will directly impact immigration and study permit processing efficiency as well as applicant experience.
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
IRCC releases latest processing time update with notable shifts across key immigration categories
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest processing time update on November 12, 2025, covering citizenship applications, permanent resident (PR) cards, family sponsorship programs, economic immigration categories, study permits, and work permits. The update reflects real-world timelines for 80% of applications and is refreshed weekly or monthly depending on the category. The latest data shows significant increases in processing times for parents and grandparents under family sponsorship, while Express Entry streams remain stable. Business immigration and several Quebec programs continue to face multi-year backlogs. IRCC emphasizes that processing times are estimates only and can vary depending on an applicant’s location, background checks, case complexity, and IRCC’s operational capacity.
11/17/2025
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