Fresh statistics released on 18 November 2025—and parsed on 19 November by Immigration News Canada—paint a sobering picture of Canada’s immigration workload. As of 30 September, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was managing 2,200,100 citizenship, permanent-residence and temporary-residence applications. Of these, 996,700 files exceeded IRCC’s published service standards and are therefore classified as backlog, the highest level since November 2024.
Permanent-residence inventories stand at 913,800 cases, with economic streams dominating volume and nearly 482,400 files now delayed. Temporary-residence categories—work permits, study permits and visitor visas—account for 1,028,500 applications, 461,100 of which are late. Citizenship processing is comparatively healthier, yet 53,200 grant applications remain overdue. The data illustrate how new federal caps on study permits, tighter labour-market rules and higher financial thresholds have not (yet) translated into lighter caseloads for officers.
![IRCC Data Show 2.2 Million Immigration Files in Process; Backlog Nears One Million]()
The widening backlog has material consequences for employers and applicants. Work-permit extensions filed in Canada can take more than seven months, forcing companies to navigate interim work-authorization gaps and insurance complications. Universities face enrolment volatility because study-permit approval swings translate into seat-confirmation uncertainty. Family-reunification cases risk missing travel-document expiry windows, and delayed citizenship grants slow corporate mobility programmes that rely on Canadian passports for visa-free travel.
IRCC processed 1.2 million files within service standards during the nine-month window, but incoming volume essentially matched output. Immigration lawyers predict that service standards may be formally lengthened in early 2026 unless budgeted staffing increases materialize. In the meantime, corporates are advised to file renewal and extension applications at the earliest possible date and to budget for bridging-open-work-permit fees where available.
Strategically, the numbers reinforce the shift in Canada’s migration model toward status transitions for people already in the country rather than large inflows of brand-new arrivals. For global-mobility managers, that means an even greater premium on in-Canada compliance, early renewals and scenario planning for employees caught in processing limbo.
Permanent-residence inventories stand at 913,800 cases, with economic streams dominating volume and nearly 482,400 files now delayed. Temporary-residence categories—work permits, study permits and visitor visas—account for 1,028,500 applications, 461,100 of which are late. Citizenship processing is comparatively healthier, yet 53,200 grant applications remain overdue. The data illustrate how new federal caps on study permits, tighter labour-market rules and higher financial thresholds have not (yet) translated into lighter caseloads for officers.
The widening backlog has material consequences for employers and applicants. Work-permit extensions filed in Canada can take more than seven months, forcing companies to navigate interim work-authorization gaps and insurance complications. Universities face enrolment volatility because study-permit approval swings translate into seat-confirmation uncertainty. Family-reunification cases risk missing travel-document expiry windows, and delayed citizenship grants slow corporate mobility programmes that rely on Canadian passports for visa-free travel.
IRCC processed 1.2 million files within service standards during the nine-month window, but incoming volume essentially matched output. Immigration lawyers predict that service standards may be formally lengthened in early 2026 unless budgeted staffing increases materialize. In the meantime, corporates are advised to file renewal and extension applications at the earliest possible date and to budget for bridging-open-work-permit fees where available.
Strategically, the numbers reinforce the shift in Canada’s migration model toward status transitions for people already in the country rather than large inflows of brand-new arrivals. For global-mobility managers, that means an even greater premium on in-Canada compliance, early renewals and scenario planning for employees caught in processing limbo.
