Building a stronger immigration system – Citizenship
223,000
new
Canadian citizens
welcomed in 2021-2022.
Our performance
Canada welcomed approximately 223,000 new Canadian citizens in 2021–2022, exceeding its citizenship goals for the year. We’re planning to welcome even more in 2022–2023. From April 1, 2022, to , Canada has welcomed approximately new citizens, compared to about in the same period last year.
Reducing backlog
We’re continuing to modernize and increase our services for those who want to become Canadians.
- Information on this page is up to date as of . Data is approximate and subject to change.
- IRCC is working toward our goal to process 80% of applications within our service standards, which allows for expected delays in very complex cases or when more information is needed from clients before finalizing their files.
- Our projections are estimates based on current operating conditions and may change. They don’t account for sharp increases in received applications, urgent shifts in priorities, or other unforeseen circumstances affecting our operations.
Citizenship
2022 Percentage of backlog of citizenship applications – Actual and projected
2022 Percentage of backlog of citizenship 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 | - | 24% |
| Apr 23 | - | 24% |
| May 23 | - | 24% |
What we’ve done
- We launched a new platform for applicants to complete the citizenship test online.
- We introduced virtual citizenship ceremonies.
- We launched online application processes for most clients looking to apply for citizenship, get straightforward proof of citizenship or search citizenship records.
- We created an online citizenship application tracker to help clients stay up to date on the status of their application and any required next steps.
What we’re doing
- We’re hiring more employees to speed up processing across our business lines.
- We’re expanding online applications for citizenship to minors under the age of 18.
- We’re expanding access to our citizenship application status tracker to representatives.
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