Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made substantial progress in reducing its immigration backlog, reflecting continued momentum in streamlining application processing.
As of February 28, 2025, the immigration backlog had decreased to 821,200 applications—a 7.95% reduction from the 892,100 cases pending in January. This marks the third consecutive month that the backlog has remained below the one million mark, signaling sustained improvements by the IRCC.
The reduction is part of a broader downward trend that began in late 2024. In September 2024, the backlog peaked at over 1.09 million applications. Since then, each month has brought consistent declines, with reductions ranging from 3% to nearly 8% month-over-month.
Here’s a quick look at the trend over the past six months:
– September 2024: 1,097,000 (+1.73%)
– October 2024: 1,056,100 (-3.73%)
– November 2024: 1,006,500 (-4.70%)
– December 2024: 942,300 (-6.38%)
– January 2025: 892,100 (-5.33%)
– February 2025: 821,200 (-7.95%)
In total, the IRCC had 2,029,400 applications in its inventory at the end of February. Of these, 1,208,200 were processed within the department’s service standards—defined timelines considered reasonable for different immigration streams. For instance, Express Entry is expected to be processed within six months, while family sponsorship applications typically have a 12-month processing standard.
Applications falling outside these published timelines are categorized as part of the backlog. The current figures suggest steady progress toward increasing operational efficiency and reducing wait times for prospective immigrants.
The IRCC’s ongoing efforts to manage and modernize its systems come amid rising immigration targets and continued demand for skilled newcomers. This positive momentum is a hopeful sign for individuals awaiting decisions on their immigration applications in 2025 and beyond.