Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recorded a decrease in its application backlog for the first time in months. As of October 31, 2024, the backlog stood at approximately 1,056,100 applications—down 3.73% from the 1,097,000 recorded a month earlier on September 30.
This marks a notable shift in trend, as the backlog had been growing steadily since May 2024. The reduction suggests early results from IRCC’s efforts to streamline processing and improve efficiency following widespread delays reported earlier this year.
Overall, IRCC is currently handling a total of 2.4 million applications across various immigration streams. Out of these, about 1.35 million are being processed within the department’s published service standards. This is a slight decline from September’s 1.35 million figure, indicating both a dip in new intake and marginal improvement in application queue management.
Applications that exceed IRCC’s service standards are classified as being in the backlog. These benchmarks are IRCC’s target processing times for different application categories, aiming to finalize 80% of cases within these timelines. When application volumes surpass available resources or quotas, delays increase and more files fall into the backlog.
IRCC’s service standards vary by program. For example, Express Entry-managed applications have faster processing goals compared to family sponsorship or paper-based PR applications. The consistent growth in the backlog had created concerns among applicants and advisors alike, raising questions about systemic efficiency and future immigration targets.
The recent decline in pending cases could help ease pressure on both the department and prospective immigrants, especially as Canada begins evaluating its intake plans for 2025. Further changes in processing strategies or policy adjustments could influence the pace of backlog reduction moving forward.
Maple News will continue monitoring IRCC’s application inventory and policy shifts affecting permanent residency, work permits, family sponsorship, and other immigration streams.