IRCC PNP Backlog Grows Despite Overall Drop in Immigration Applications

Canada’s immigration system continues to reduce its overall backlog of applications—but Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications through Express Entry are seeing a sharp rise.

According to the latest update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total backlog stood at 779,900 applications as of March 31, 2025. This marks a 5.03% drop from 821,200 applications in February 2025, continuing a positive trend of four consecutive months under the 1-million mark.

IRCC Backlog Trends Over the Past Six Months

As of the end of March, IRCC was processing 1,976,700 applications in total, with 1,196,800 of those handled within their published service standards.

What Does “Backlog” Mean?

A backlog occurs when an immigration application is not processed within IRCC’s standard processing times. For example:

• Express Entry: Standard processing time is 6 months
• Family Sponsorship: Standard time is 12 months

If an application exceeds these timelines, it becomes part of the backlog.

IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within service standards, with 20% left for more complex cases.

Permanent Resident Application Backlogs

As of March 2025, there were 852,700 permanent residence applications in the IRCC system, including:

• Express Entry
• PNP (Provincial Nominee Program)
• Family Sponsorship

Only 472,600 (55%) were within service standards, while 380,100 applications were backlogged.

Notable Points:

• Express Entry backlog: 27% (target is 20%)
• PNP backlog via Express Entry: 44%, a sharp increase from 36% in February
• This is the highest since June 2022 (45%)
• Family Sponsorship backlog: 14%, which is within the IRCC target of 15%

Temporary Resident Application Backlogs

Out of 884,600 temporary resident (TR) applications, 60% were within standard processing timelines, while 356,200 were in the backlog.

Breakdown:

• Visitor Visas: 58% backlog (target: 45%)
• Study Permits: Backlog dropped to 37% (still over target of 15%)
• Work Permits: Backlog rose from 34% to 42% (target: 24%)
  
  

Citizenship Applications Remain Stable

• Total: 239,400 citizenship applications
• Processed within service standards: 195,800 (82%)
• Backlog: 43,600 (18%)
• This number has stayed the same since January 2025
  
  

 What Is IRCC Doing to Reduce the Backlog?

IRCC has introduced several measures to improve processing speed:

1. Lower Immigration Targets
• The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan aims to reduce the number of new PR admissions, helping IRCC manage the volume more efficiently.
2. Job Reductions
• Around 3,300 positions are set to be cut over three years. This may slow down some services but could also streamline processing by focusing on fewer applications.
3. Automation and AI
• New technologies are helping sort and categorize applications faster, freeing up officers to focus on more complex cases.
4. Program Caps
• In 2025, IRCC capped study permit applications at 550,162 to better control the volume of applications and manage processing times.
  
  

Conclusion

While overall application backlogs are trending downward, the PNP backlog through Express Entry is rising sharply, raising concerns for applicants in that stream. Temporary and work permit applications are also under pressure, while family sponsorship and citizenship remain more stable.

Applicants are advised to monitor processing times closely and ensure they submit complete, accurate applications to avoid delays.