Understanding IRCC’s application inventories
We are taking back control over the immigration system and putting Canada on a trajectory to bring immigration back to sustainable levels. The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan reduces temporary resident targets, stabilizes permanent resident targets, and focuses on economic needs by attracting talent for key sectors like health care and construction.
To manage the system and meet our targets, we maintain an inventory of applications that have not been finalized for each of our programs. The inventories include applications that are within our service standards, as well as a backlog of applications that have been waiting beyond those standards.
Our goal is to process 80% of applications within our service standards. This allows for expected delays in complex cases or when we need more information from applicants. We can only approve a fixed number of applications each year as outlined in the levels plan. When we receive more applications than can be approved in a given year, some applications may need to wait until admissions space becomes available. This can increase overall processing times.
Information on this page is up to date as of . Data is approximate and subject to change.
total applications in all IRCC inventories
Service Standards
Temporary residence
applications are within service standards
This is % of
total applications for temporary residence.
Permanent residence
applications are within service standards
This is % of
total applications for permanent residence.
Citizenship
applications are within service standards
This is % of
total citizenship applications.
Backlogs
Temporary residence
in backlog (exceeding service standards)
This is % of
total applications for temporary residence.
Permanent residence
in backlog (exceeding service standards)
This is % of
total applications for permanent residence.
Citizenship grant
in backlog (exceeding service standards)
This is % of
total applications for grant of citizenship.
Permanent residence
We made 414,700 decisions and welcomed 367,500 new permanent residents from January 1 to November 30, 2025.
In our inventories
Federal high-skilled
(Express Entry)
Percentage of backlog of federal high-skilled (Express Entry) applications – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of federal high-skilled (Express Entry) applications – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 89% | - |
| Feb 22 | 92% | - |
| Mar 22 | 98% | - |
| Apr 22 | 99% | - |
| May 22 | 100% | - |
| Jun 22 | 100% | - |
| Jul 22 | 99% | - |
| Aug 22 | 90% | 86% |
| Sep 22 | 68% | 72% |
| Oct 22 | 45% | 59% |
| Nov 22 | 31% | 46% |
| Dec 22 | 22% | 20% |
| Jan 23 | 20% | 20% |
| Feb 23 | 20% | 20% |
| Mar 23 | 18% | 20% |
| Apr 23 | 17% | 20% |
| May 23 | 15% | 20% |
| Jun 23 | 17% | 20% |
| Jul 23 | 16% | 20% |
| Aug 23 | 12% | 20% |
| Sep 23 | 12% | 20% |
| Oct 23 | 13% | 20% |
| Nov 23 | 16% | 11% |
| Dec 23 | 17% | 10% |
| Jan 24 | 17% | 15% |
| Feb 24 | 17% | 15% |
| Mar 24 | 16% | 15% |
| Apr 24 | 14% | 15% |
| May 24 | 15% | 15% |
| Jun 24 | 16% | 15% |
| Jul 24 | 17% | 15% |
| Aug 24 | 16% | 15% |
| Sep 24 | 17% | 15% |
| Oct 24 | 19% | 15% |
| Nov 24 | 18% | 20% |
| Dec 24 | 18% | 20% |
| Jan 25 | 20% | 20% |
| Feb 25 | 25% | 20% |
| Mar 25 | 27% | 20% |
| Apr 25 | 22% | 20% |
| May 25 | 18% | 25% |
| Jun 25 | 20% | 28% |
| Jul 25 | 21% | 29% |
| Aug 25 | 20% | 29% |
| Sep 25 | 21% | 20% |
| Oct 25 | 27% | 20% |
| Nov 25 | 32% | 25% |
| Dec 25 | - | 30% |
| Jan 26 | - | 50% |
Provincial Nominee Program
(Express Entry)
Percentage of backlog Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry) applications – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry) applications – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 56% | - |
| Feb 22 | 55% | - |
| Mar 22 | 54% | - |
| Apr 22 | 51% | - |
| May 22 | 47% | - |
| Jun 22 | 45% | - |
| Jul 22 | 43% | - |
| Aug 22 | 42% | 39% |
| Sep 22 | 40% | 35% |
| Oct 22 | 42% | 31% |
| Nov 22 | 42% | 28% |
| Dec 22 | 41% | 20% |
| Jan 23 | 38% | 40% |
| Feb 23 | 32% | 39% |
| Mar 23 | 30% | 32% |
| Apr 23 | 28% | 30% |
| May 23 | 30% | 28% |
| Jun 23 | 33% | 24% |
| Jul 23 | 29% | 22% |
| Aug 23 | 27% | 21% |
| Sep 23 | 27% | 20% |
| Oct 23 | 24% | 20% |
| Nov 23 | 22% | 20% |
| Dec 23 | 20% | 20% |
| Jan 24 | 19% | 20% |
| Feb 24 | 20% | 20% |
| Mar 24 | 21% | 19% |
| Apr 24 | 23% | 19% |
| May 24 | 24% | 20% |
| Jun 24 | 25% | 20% |
| Jul 24 | 23% | 20% |
| Aug 24 | 22% | 20% |
| Sep 24 | 23% | 20% |
| Oct 24 | 25% | 20% |
| Nov 24 | 24% | 20% |
| Dec 24 | 25% | 20% |
| Jan 25 | 30% | 20% |
| Feb 25 | 36% | 20% |
| Mar 25 | 44% | 30% |
| Apr 25 | 49% | 35% |
| May 25 | 49% | 40% |
| Jun 25 | 48% | 46% |
| Jul 25 | 49% | 48% |
| Aug 25 | 49% | 49% |
| Sep 25 | 47% | 50% |
| Oct 25 | 51% | 50% |
| Nov 25 | 53% | 50% |
| Dec 25 | - | 55% |
| Jan 26 | - | 55% |
Spouses, partners and children
(outside Quebec)
Percentage of backlog of spouses, partners and children (outside Quebec) applications – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of spouses, partners and children (outside Quebec) applications – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 34% | - |
| Feb 22 | 32% | - |
| Mar 22 | 30% | - |
| Apr 22 | 29% | - |
| May 22 | 27% | - |
| Jun 22 | 27% | - |
| Jul 22 | 26% | - |
| Aug 22 | 25% | 24% |
| Sep 22 | 25% | 23% |
| Oct 22 | 24% | 22% |
| Nov 22 | 24% | 20% |
| Dec 22 | 24% | 19% |
| Jan 23 | 24% | 24% |
| Feb 23 | 23% | 24% |
| Mar 23 | 24% | 24% |
| Apr 23 | 23% | 24% |
| May 23 | 20% | 24% |
| Jun 23 | 19% | 24% |
| Jul 23 | 18% | 24% |
| Aug 23 | 17% | 24% |
| Sep 23 | 16% | 24% |
| Oct 23 | 16% | 24% |
| Nov 23 | 15% | 16% |
| Dec 23 | 15% | 16% |
| Jan 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Feb 24 | 15% | 15% |
| Mar 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Apr 24 | 14% | 15% |
| May 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Jun 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Jul 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Aug 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Sep 24 | 15% | 15% |
| Oct 24 | 15% | 15% |
| Nov 24 | 14% | 15% |
| Dec 24 | 15% | 15% |
| Jan 25 | 15% | 15% |
| Feb 25 | 14% | 15% |
| Mar 25 | 14% | 15% |
| Apr 25 | 14% | 15% |
| May 25 | 14% | 15% |
| Jun 25 | 14% | 15% |
| Jul 25 | 15% | 18% |
| Aug 25 | 17% | 20% |
| Sep 25 | 19% | 20% |
| Oct 25 | 20% | 20% |
| Nov 25 | 20% | 20% |
| Dec 25 | - | 20% |
| Jan 26 | - | 20% |
Citizenship
We welcomed 181,600 new citizens from April 1 to November 30, 2025.
In our inventories
Citizenship grants
Percentage of backlog of citizenship grant applications – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of citizenship grant applications – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 46% | - |
| Feb 22 | 45% | - |
| Mar 22 | 42% | - |
| Apr 22 | 40% | - |
| May 22 | 39% | - |
| Jun 22 | 37% | - |
| Jul 22 | 35% | - |
| Aug 22 | 30% | 30% |
| Sep 22 | 30% | 30% |
| Oct 22 | 28% | 28% |
| Nov 22 | 29% | 27% |
| Dec 22 | 28% | 26% |
| Jan 23 | 27% | 26% |
| Feb 23 | 26% | 25% |
| Mar 23 | 25% | 24% |
| Apr 23 | 25% | 24% |
| May 23 | 23% | 24% |
| Jun 23 | 24% | 24% |
| Jul 23 | 21% | 24% |
| Aug 23 | 21% | 26% |
| Sep 23 | 21% | 26% |
| Oct 23 | 21% | 19% |
| Nov 23 | 20% | 19% |
| Dec 23 | 19% | 18% |
| Jan 24 | 19% | 17% |
| Feb 24 | 18% | 17% |
| Mar 24 | 18% | 17% |
| Apr 24 | 18% | 18% |
| May 24 | 17% | 17% |
| Jun 24 | 16% | 17% |
| Jul 24 | 17% | 10% |
| Aug 24 | 17% | 11% |
| Sep 24 | 17% | 16% |
| Oct 24 | 17% | 17% |
| Nov 24 | 17% | 16% |
| Dec 24 | 17% | 16% |
| Jan 25 | 18% | 16% |
| Feb 25 | 18% | 17% |
| Mar 25 | 18% | 17% |
| Apr 25 | 19% | 17% |
| May 25 | 19% | 17% |
| Jun 25 | 19% | 17% |
| Jul 25 | 19% | 17% |
| Aug 25 | 20% | 19% |
| Sep 25 | 21% | 20% |
| Oct 25 | 22% | 20% |
| Nov 25 | 23% | 21% |
| Dec 25 | - | 23% |
| Jan 26 | - | 25% |
Temporary residence
We finalized 557,400 study permit applications (including extensions) and 1,221,300 work permit applications (including extensions) from January 1 to November 30, 2025.
In our inventories
Temporary resident visas (TRV)
Percentage of backlog of temporary resident visas (TRV) – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of temporary resident visas (TRV) – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 70% | - |
| Feb 22 | 74% | - |
| Mar 22 | 55% | - |
| Apr 22 | 55% | - |
| May 22 | 56% | - |
| Jun 22 | 71% | - |
| Jul 22 | 67% | - |
| Aug 22 | 71% | 68% |
| Sep 22 | 74% | 71% |
| Oct 22 | 74% | 70% |
| Nov 22 | 70% | 67% |
| Dec 22 | 70% | 77% |
| Jan 23 | 68% | 68% |
| Feb 23 | 64% | 68% |
| Mar 23 | 61% | 65% |
| Apr 23 | 50% | 56% |
| May 23 | 45% | 42% |
| Jun 23 | 46% | 42% |
| Jul 23 | 46% | 42% |
| Aug 23 | 50% | 43% |
| Sep 23 | 56% | 36% |
| Oct 23 | 58% | 34% |
| Nov 23 | 59% | 71% |
| Dec 23 | 61% | 66% |
| Jan 24 | 62% | 70% |
| Feb 24 | 61% | 68% |
| Mar 24 | 56% | 62% |
| Apr 24 | 57% | 61% |
| May 24 | 58% | 60% |
| Jun 24 | 62% | 58% |
| Jul 24 | 64% | 60% |
| Aug 24 | 71% | 43% |
| Sep 24 | 72% | 60% |
| Oct 24 | 74% | 61% |
| Nov 24 | 75% | 59% |
| Dec 24 | 75% | 61% |
| Jan 25 | 71% | 62% |
| Feb 25 | 65% | 50% |
| Mar 25 | 58% | 45% |
| Apr 25 | 54% | 38% |
| May 25 | 54% | 47% |
| Jun 25 | 53% | 42% |
| Jul 25 | 56% | 38% |
| Aug 25 | 60% | 52% |
| Sep 25 | 57% | 53% |
| Oct 25 | 57% | 57% |
| Nov 25 | 57% | 54% |
| Dec 25 | - | 61% |
| Jan 26 | - | 47% |
Study permits
Percentage of backlog of study permits (excluding extensions) – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of study permits (excluding extensions) – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 42% | - |
| Feb 22 | 34% | - |
| Mar 22 | 27% | - |
| Apr 22 | 32% | - |
| May 22 | 31% | - |
| Jun 22 | 30% | - |
| Jul 22 | 31% | - |
| Aug 22 | 38% | 39% |
| Sep 22 | 31% | 42% |
| Oct 22 | 26% | 33% |
| Nov 22 | 28% | 31% |
| Dec 22 | 32% | 33% |
| Jan 23 | 35% | 36% |
| Feb 23 | 29% | 34% |
| Mar 23 | 23 % | 25% |
| Apr 23 | 18% | 22% |
| May 23 | 17% | 15% |
| Jun 23 | 15% | 15% |
| Jul 23 | 16% | 15% |
| Aug 23 | 25% | 19% |
| Sep 23 | 30% | 17% |
| Oct 23 | 25% | 9% |
| Nov 23 | 24% | 16% |
| Dec 23 | 18% | 18% |
| Jan 24 | 23% | 34% |
| Feb 24 | 43% | 32% |
| Mar 24 | 46% | 22% |
| Apr 24 | 31% | 19% |
| May 24 | 19% | 13% |
| Jun 24 | 17% | 7% |
| Jul 24 | 24% | 12% |
| Aug 24 | 32% | 18% |
| Sep 24 | 36% | 30% |
| Oct 24 | 33% | 32% |
| Nov 24 | 36% | 37% |
| Dec 24 | 43% | 26% |
| Jan 25 | 45% | 33% |
| Feb 25 | 45% | 24% |
| Mar 25 | 37% | 15% |
| Apr 25 | 30% | 15% |
| May 25 | 23% | 19% |
| Jun 25 | 18% | 11% |
| Jul 25 | 23% | 12% |
| Aug 25 | 32% | 26% |
| Sep 25 | 42% | 34% |
| Oct 25 | 41% | 30% |
| Nov 25 | 36% | 37% |
| Dec 25 | - | 43% |
| Jan 26 | - | 38% |
Work permits
Percentage of backlog of work permits (excluding extensions) – Actual and projected
Percentage of backlog of work permits (excluding extensions) – Actual and projected
| Month | Backlog (Actual) | Backlog (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22 | 48% | - |
| Feb 22 | 51% | - |
| Mar 22 | 29% | - |
| Apr 22 | 23% | - |
| May 22 | 26% | - |
| Jun 22 | 28% | - |
| Jul 22 | 28% | - |
| Aug 22 | 34% | 29% |
| Sep 22 | 27% | 35% |
| Oct 22 | 23% | 49% |
| Nov 22 | 24% | 55% |
| Dec 22 | 25% | 60% |
| Jan 23 | 26% | 26% |
| Feb 23 | 23% | 28% |
| Mar 23 | 18 % | 28% |
| Apr 23 | 22% | 26% |
| May 23 | 27% | 24% |
| Jun 23 | 27% | 22% |
| Jul 23 | 25% | 22% |
| Aug 23 | 37% | 22% |
| Sep 23 | 55% | 20% |
| Oct 23 | 57% | 20% |
| Nov 23 | 53% | 37% |
| Dec 23 | 49% | 33% |
| Jan 24 | 43% | 47% |
| Feb 24 | 37% | 36% |
| Mar 24 | 41% | 29% |
| Apr 24 | 49% | 35% |
| May 24 | 53% | 45% |
| Jun 24 | 46% | 46% |
| Jul 24 | 43% | 28% |
| Aug 24 | 47% | 22% |
| Sep 24 | 47% | 14% |
| Oct 24 | 46% | 7% |
| Nov 24 | 51% | 44% |
| Dec 24 | 57% | 40% |
| Jan 25 | 42% | 40% |
| Feb 25 | 34% | 32% |
| Mar 25 | 42% | 24% |
| Apr 25 | 36% | 26% |
| May 25 | 38% | 23% |
| Jun 25 | 40% | 24% |
| Jul 25 | 46% | 18% |
| Aug 25 | 45% | 31% |
| Sep 25 | 48% | 28% |
| Oct 25 | 50% | 39% |
| Nov 25 | 49% | 44% |
| Dec 25 | - | 43% |
| Jan 26 | - | 31% |
Additional resources
Additional resources
Students and temporary workers
Information on the total population of students and workers in Canada
Additional resources
Asylum claimants
Monthly data on asylum claimants at a border crossing, in Canada and RCMP apprehensions between ports of entry
Additional resources
Immigration Levels Plan
Each year, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables the Immigration Levels Plan, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next three years