Canada’s immigration department has started the autumn quarter with more than 2.09 million applications in its processing inventory, according to figures quietly posted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on 25 September and analysed by CTC News the following morning. Of those files, 941,400—almost 45 per cent—are now classified as backlogged because they have waited longer than IRCC’s published service standards. The new numbers show that pressure is mounting across every line of business. Permanent-residence (PR) inventories passed the one-million mark for the first time since early 2024, with roughly half of those files outside service standards. IRCC officials note that PR admissions are capped annually by the Immigration Levels Plan, meaning complete applications can still sit in a queue until space becomes available. Temporary-residence (TR) applications—visitor visas, study permits and work permits—account for the next-largest share, while 260,800 citizenship applications remain in the system, 23 per cent of them overdue. For employers, the data translate into continued uncertainty around onboarding global talent. Despite record numbers of decisions—IRCC finalised 112,600 PR applications between January and March and 1.53 million visitor visas by 31 July—the volume of new files entering the system has outpaced processing gains. Business travellers and expatriate managers should therefore build additional lead-time into mobility plans and keep back-up options such as intra-company transfers under the International Mobility Program (IMP) on the table. Applicants themselves can take practical steps to avoid unnecessary delays: submit complete packages, enrol biometrics promptly, respond quickly to document requests and use the online processing-time tool to set realistic expectations. The agency continues to prioritise files that align with economic objectives, such as the 16 September Express Entry draw that invited 250 senior managers already working in Canada. Policy-makers, meanwhile, face growing criticism from industry groups that fear skilled-worker shortages will worsen if the backlog is not brought under control before the 2027–29 Levels Plan is unveiled. IRCC says it remains committed to its benchmark of finalising 80 per cent of applications within service standards but concedes that short-term fluctuations are inevitable while demand stays high.
Source: CTC News
