Unlocking Opportunities: Canada’s Immigration Application Backlog Fell by 7%
The backlog of immigration applications in Canada has seen a modest reduction of around 7% since 2022, marking progress but still posing a significant challenge. As of December last year, the total number of applications decreased from approximately 2.4 million in late June the previous year to just over 2.2 million.
Gurmeet Sharma
According to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, maintaining an inventory of applications is crucial to achieving annual immigration targets and enhancing processing capacity. The inventory includes both processed applications within service standards and a backlog of applications awaiting finalization.
As of December 31 last year, IRCC officials were handling 2,221,100 applications, with 949,500 considered part of the backlog. This backlog comprised 47% of the 1,257,000 applications for temporary residence and 44% of the 702,000 permanent residence applications.
While progress was noted in addressing citizenship applications, with only 19% in the backlog, challenges persist. The IRCC emphasizes its commitment to reducing backlogs, aiming to process 80% of applications within service standards.
Despite improvements, a House of Commons standing committee urged the IRCC in December to establish a deadline for clearing the backlog and implement accountability measures to ensure timely resolution. Sukh Dhaliwal, chair of the committee on citizenship and immigration, called for the creation of a special task force to address the challenge, citing the overwhelming backlog resulting from the rapid increase in applications and challenges in transitioning to a digital processing environment.
The backlog not only impacts individuals applying for residence but also hinders temporary foreign workers and international students. Moreover, it adversely affects Canada's reputation, as delays in visa processing prevent business people from attending conferences and impede international groups' entry into the country.
To address these issues, the standing committee released a report on December 14, 2023, containing 40 recommendations to the House of Commons. These recommendations aim to tackle backlogs and enhance the processing of immigration applications, recognizing the broader impact on various stakeholders and Canada's global standing.
