Maple News reports that on May 12, Canada’s immigration department published updated processing times for permanent residence and citizenship applications. Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications each jumped by about one month in wait times, with the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) queue increasing by more than 6,000 applicants and the base PNP inventory rising by more than 2,000.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) wait times fell by two months, and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) declined by one month.
This update compares current May 12 figures against the prior April 7 snapshot to give applicants a sense of how the backlog is evolving across economic and family sponsorship streams.
Economic immigration remains the segment most affected by new backlogs, with AIP being the sole path showing a decrease in wait times; all other programs have either increased or remained steady.
In Express Entry specifics, Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) processing times rose to seven months, after dipping earlier in the year; the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) remains at seven months. The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) data is not published due to insufficient data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
IRCC notes a six-month service standard for all Express Entry applications, underscoring that actual processing times can vary based on the applicant pool and inventory levels. Applicants should monitor the latest updates and plan accordingly as inventories continue to shift. Maple News will continue covering these developments as they unfold.