IRCC Backlog Grows Again Despite Better Processing of Study Permits

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues to face a growing backlog of immigration applications. As of June 30, 2025, the number of applications in the backlog reached 842,800, up from 802,000 at the end of May. This represents a 5.02% increase in just one month.

What Is a Backlog?

IRCC defines an application as part of the backlog if it hasn’t been processed within its official service standard. For example:

• Express Entry applications are expected to be processed within 6 months
• Family sponsorship applications should be completed within 12 months
  
  

If an application takes longer than these timelines, it is included in the backlog. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within these timelines, but complex cases may take longer.

Snapshot of the Backlog Over the Past 6 Months

As of the end of June, IRCC had a total of 2,189,500 applications in its system. Out of these, 1,346,700 were being processed within service standards, while the rest were in the backlog.

Permanent Residence Applications

IRCC had 896,100 permanent residence (PR) applications in its inventory at the end of June. These include:

• Express Entry
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams
• Family sponsorship
  
  

Out of these, 480,300 (or 54%) were within the service standards. The remaining 415,800 were in the backlog, which is an increase from 402,400 in May.

Express Entry:

• 20% of applications were in the backlog in June, compared to 18% in May.
  
  

PNP through Express Entry:

• The backlog rose from 24% in November 2024 to 49% in May 2025.
• It slightly declined to 48% in June.
  
  

Family Sponsorship:

• The backlog rate was 14% in June, below the 15% target.
  
  

Temporary Residence Applications

There were 1,040,700 temporary residence applications in IRCC’s inventory at the end of June, which includes:

• Work permits
• Study permits
• Visitor visas
  
  

Of these, 661,100 (or 64%) were processed within service standards, leaving 379,600 in the backlog.

Work Permits:

• Backlog increased from 38% in May to 40% in June.
  
  

Study Permits:

• Backlog dropped significantly from 45% in February to 18% in June.
• This is the first time the backlog fell below the 20% target since June 2024.
  
  

Visitor Visas:

• Backlog decreased slightly from 54% in May to 53% in June.
  
  

Citizenship Applications

As of June 30, 2025, the backlog of citizenship grant applications remained steady at 19%, the same as the previous month. This is within IRCC’s target.

What Is IRCC Doing to Address the Backlog?

IRCC has been using advanced analytics and automation tools since late last year to improve processing efficiency. These tools help immigration officers:

• Sort applications
• Flag complex cases
• Summarize information more quickly