Canada Immigration Backlog Surges to 820,000: Latest IRCC Data Reveals

In a recent development, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reported a slight increase of around 1.35% in the Canada immigration backlog, which now stands at 820,000 as of May 31, 2023. This surge in the backlog is a significant concern for applicants worldwide, as it could potentially impact the processing times of their applications.

The IRCC, which manages immigration applications in Canada, has seen a substantial increase in new applications across all categories. This influx has led to a jump of 231,000 applications being processed under normal IRCC service standards, bringing the total to 1,428,000. As a result, the IRCC was managing around 2.25 million applications as of May 31, 2023 – the highest inventory since September 2022.

Interestingly, the backlog has only reduced for permanent residency applications, which saw a decrease of around 4.34% when compared to the April 30 update. On the other hand, the citizenship backlog witnessed a significant increase of 13.69%, and the temporary residency applications backlog rose by 3.62%.

The IRCC data also highlighted a 30% increase in new temporary residency applications. Here’s a quick snapshot of the backlog data:

• Citizenship: 308,000 total applications, 83,000 in backlog, 225,000 within service standards
• Permanent Residence: 640,000 total applications, 308,000 in backlog, 332,000 within service standards
• Temporary Residence: 1,300,000 total applications, 429,000 in backlog, 871,000 within service standards
• Total: 2,248,000 total applications, 820,000 in backlog, 1,428,000 within service standards

In August 2022, the IRCC minister made a clear distinction between backlog data and IRCC service standards. For instance, if the processing time for a specific type of application, such as spouse sponsorship, is 12 months, then a pending application within 12 months is not considered a backlog. Instead, it is classified as being processed under IRCC service standards. However, if it exceeds 12 months, it is referred to as a backlog. The objective of IRCC is to process 80% of applications within service standards.

This increase in the Canada immigration backlog underscores the challenges faced by the IRCC in managing the high volume of applications. It also highlights the need for potential immigrants to stay updated with the latest immigration news and trends.

Stay tuned for more updates on Canada immigration backlog and other related news.