New transparency data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and analysed on 22 July by Immigration News Canada shows 1.52 million applications pending a decision as of 31 May 2026—despite a year-to-date finalisation of 1.29 million temporary-resident cases. Although the dashboard does not break numbers down by nationality, historical disclosure indicates that Indian citizens account for roughly 26 % of Canada’s temporary-resident pipeline and 18 % of its economic permanent-resident queue. For study permits alone, 31,665 cases were still awaiting review—timing that collides with India’s autumn outbound-student season. The big change is methodological: rather than distinguishing between files within or outside service standards, Ottawa now labels them “in processing” versus “waiting for space” under the forward Immigration Levels Plan. That means even a file untouched by an officer could appear numerically healthy if space exists, creating new uncertainty for Global Mobility teams that rely on published averages to forecast assignment start dates. Corporate implication: Employers sponsoring intra-company transferees or Global Skills Strategy work-permit holders should not assume two-week processing if the quota for that category is already full; the application may sit “waiting for space” with little visibility. Advisers recommend building 30- to 45-day contingencies into 2027 staffing models. The Indian High Commission plans to raise the backlog issue at the next India–Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Migration and Mobility, tentatively scheduled for September.
Source: Immigration News Canada
