Last Updated On 27 January 2024, 9:41 AM EST (Toronto Time)
According to the new IRCC backlog update published on January 24, 2024, Canada has been processing a record number of immigration and visa applications.
IRCC continues to receive a record amount of new applications, with the entire application inventory reaching 2,221,100 as of December 31, 2023.
Canada has been receiving a high number of new temporary residency applications, including those for visitor visas, work permits, and study permits.
The immigration backlog is defined as any application for citizenship, immigration, or a temporary visa that takes longer than the immigration department’s typical processing time.
Click here to read IRCC service standards organized by application category.
The backlog for temporary residency applications has increased by 7.42%, with overall processing inventory rising to 1,257,000 since the last backlog update.
However, the backlog for citizenship applications decreases by 6% but increases for permanent residency applications by 7.42%, while the overall inventory for these applications increases by 6.65%.
Month-by-month comparison of the backlog for Canadian immigration
| Application Type | Backlog Dec 31 | Backlog Nov 30 | Difference Since Nov 30 | Percentage Change Since Nov 30 |
| Citizenship | 49,800 | 53,000 | -3,200 | -6.04% |
| Permanent Residence | 308,900 | 287,300 | 21,600 | 7.52% |
| Temporary Residence | 590,800 | 550,000 | 40,800 | 7.42% |
| Total | 949,500 | 890,300 | 59,200 | 6.65% |
Below is a month-by-month comparison of applications processed within service standards
| Application Type | Within Service Standards, December 31 | Within Service Standards, November 30 | Percentage Change Since November 30 |
| Citizenship | 212,300 | 216,700 | -2.03% |
| Permanent Residence | 393,100 | 365,700 | 7.49% |
| Temporary Residence | 666,200 | 620,000 | 7.45% |
| Total | 1,271,600 | 1,202,400 | 5.76% |
All The IRCC Backlog Updates of 2023
| Backlog Update Date | Applications In Backlog | Total Applications Under Processing | Backlog Net %Age Change month-on-month |
| December 31, 2023 | 949,500 | 2,221,100 | +6.65% |
| November 30, 2023 | 890,300 | 2,092,700 | -4.93% |
| October 31, 2023 | 936,500 | 2,166,800 | 0.86% |
| September 30, 2023 | 928,500 | 2,194,900 | 9.9% |
| August 31, 2023 | 844,700 | 2,198,700 | 5.2% |
| July 31, 2023 | 802,600 | 2,274,600 | 0.2% |
| June 30, 2023 | 801,000 | 2,264,000 | -2.3% |
| May 31, 2023 | 820,000 | 2,248,000 | 1.4% |
| April 30, 2023 | 809,000 | 2,006,000 | -9.7% |
| March 31, 2023 | 896,300 | 2,017,700 | -1.5% |
| February 28, 2023 | 910,400 | 1,962,600 | -6.6% |
| January 31, 2023 | 974,600 | 1,944,500 | 6.1% |
The Canadian government was under fire for receiving a record number of permanent and temporary residents during the housing crisis.
Recently, on January 22, the Immigration Minister announced a cap on the number of international students admitted to Canada. Click here to view the full announcement.
What are the IRCC backlog projections for 2024?
According to official IRCC forecasts for 2024, backlogs are expected to decrease month by month.
The IRCC’s official backlog forecasts for various application categories by February 28, 2024, are shown below.
15–17% backlog in the Federal High Skilled and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP via Express Entry)
The backlog projection for citizenship and spousal sponsorship applications is also 15–17%.
Study and work permit a backlog projection of between 32% and 36%.
The projection is 68% for temporary resident or visiting visas.
Anything equal to or less than 20% indicates that IRCC meets the service standard for that immigration category.
What is the new IRCC backlog update ?
As of December 31, 2023, the IRCC was handling 2,221,100 citizenship, immigration, and visa applications. 949,500 of these are backlogs that surpass IRCC’s usual service standards.
The backlog for citizenship and permanent residency applications decreases by nearly 6% month after month, but climbs by nearly 7.4% for temporary residency and permanent residency applications.
Why is the IRCC processing so slow?
IRCC processing requires a significant case-by-case review of applicants, making it a time-consuming process. Also, IRCC processes have not fully adapted to current technologies in the last 10–15 years.
Additionally, Canada has now been receiving a record number of new applications from all over the world, which is adding to the backlog on top of the files accumulated during the pandemic.
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