According to Maple News, Canada’s immigration system is once again facing mounting pressure, with the backlog of pending applications at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) increasing to 842,800 as of June 30, 2025. This marks a 5.02% rise from 802,000 applications in May, despite improvements in some areas such as study permit processing.
The upward trend in backlogged files reverses progress made earlier in the year. After three consecutive months of declining inventory from January through April, May saw a 5.5% spike, followed by another in June. The backlog numbers now approach the levels seen at the beginning of 2025, when IRCC was grappling with 891,100 applications in January.
IRCC defines a backlog as any application that hasn’t been processed within the department’s published service standards. These service standards vary by program. For instance, Express Entry applications are generally expected to be processed within six months, while family sponsorship requests are allotted 12 months.
While the backlog specifically refers to applications exceeding these timelines, the total number of applications currently in IRCC’s system is much higher. As of June 30, the department was managing a total of 2,189,500 applications, with 1,346,700 of them being processed within standard timelines.
IRCC aims to finalize 80% of applications within its target processing windows. However, more complex cases, often requiring supplemental documents or additional review, can take longer than anticipated, contributing to the overall backlog.
Despite the recent increase, it’s worth noting that IRCC has made headway in improving processing speed in certain categories, such as study permits. These improvements, however, have not been sufficient to counter the overall rise in delayed applications across other streams.
The consistent fluctuations in backlog totals highlight the ongoing challenges IRCC faces in balancing growing immigration demand with administrative capacity. Addressing these pressures will be critical as Canada continues to rely on immigration to bolster its labor force and drive economic growth.
Maple News will continue to monitor developments as IRCC works to streamline operations and deliver on its processing targets.