IRCC reports a consistent inventory of over 2.1 million applicants in the immigration backlog in Canada. The most recent time frame, based on the data, is from January 31 to February.
In the period since July 2021, inventory levels have progressed as follows:
- 2,152,220 people on January 2-3, 2023
- 2,243,097 people on December 3, 2022
- 2,411,388 people on November 3, 2022
- 2,600,000 people on September 30, 2022
- 2,583,827 people on August 31, 2022
- 2,679,031 people between July 15-17, 2022
- 2,387,884 people between June 1-6, 2022
- 2,130,385 people from April 30 to May 2, 2022
- 2,031,589 people attended April 11-12, 2022
- 1,844,424 people between March 15th and 17th, 2022
- 1,815,628 people as of February 1, 2022
- 1,813,144 people on December 15, 2021
- 1,792,404 people on October 27, 2021
- 1,447,474 people on July 6, 2021
The present Inventories
Applicants in Canada’s Citizenship Inventory increased from 301,388 on January 3 to 302,980 on February 1. As of January 31, there were 523,557 people holding permanent residences which increased from 521,552 on January 2. Compared to January 2, the Temporary Residence Inventory at the end of January 31 stood at 1,294,974 people.
A decrease of 34,000 Temporary Residence Applications between January and February is offset by increases in two of three major categories of Canada’s immigration inventory.
| Migration Category | Based on January 31-February 1 figures |
| Temporary Residence | 1,294,974 |
| Citizenship | 302,980 |
| Permanent Residence | 523,557 |
| Grand total | 2,121,511 |
Inventories of Express Entry and PNP
According to IRCC data, 47,868 applicants are waiting in queue for Express Entry programs on January 31, a decrease of 541 compared to January 3.
For all Express Entry programs, IRCC started inviting applicants last July. To meet the IRCC’s service standard, draws were only held between September 21, 2021, and July 6, 2022, for those participating in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). As a result of the suspension of Express Entry invitations for Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class candidates, IRCC was able to decrease the Express Entry inventory and restore service standards to six months for those who received an invitation to apply as of July 6.
66,214 total applications were received for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), up from 62,720 applicants in January, according to the latest data.
Inventory of Family class
It was reported that IRCC data showed a slight decrease in the family class immigration inventory, now standing at 124,771 compared to 125,631 on January 3. Sponsorships for spouses and partners remain the most popular family class program with 61,191 applicants, a small decrease from January’s 61,481. A 52,801 people are currently waiting for decisions through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), slightly down from 52,960 in January.
Service standards
Application processing timeframes set by IRCC are based on service standards. Although the average processing time may be longer than the standard, the actual processing time may vary. Backlogs are created when applications are not completed within the program’s set timeframe.
IRCC strives to process 80% of applications within 90 days, but processing time varies depending on the type of application. When applying for permanent residence through Express Entry, the processing time is six months, but it is 12 months if you are applying for spousal sponsorship or child sponsorship. The actual processing time may vary from the recommended time depending on the type of application. The backlog of applications is the result of applications not being processed within a certain timeframe.
The Immigration and Refugee Council has set a goal of processing temporary residence applications within 60 to 120 days depending on whether it is a work or study application from within or outside Canada.
