- IRCC reduced the total backlog to 941,400 applications as of February 28, 2026.
- Permanent residence backlog rose to 536,800, with only 47% processed within service standards.
- Processing for Indian visitor visas dropped to 23 days as of April 2026.
(CANADA) – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada cut its total application backlog to 941,400 applications as of February 28, 2026, down 48,900 from January and the lowest level since July 2025, even as pressure intensified in permanent residence processing.
The decline in the overall IRCC Backlog did not extend to one of the department’s biggest files. Permanent residence inventory rose above 1,007,400 by February 28, 2026, and only 47% of those applications were processed within service standards.
That left 536,800 permanent residence applications in backlog, an increase of 21,700 from January 31, 2026. The rise showed new files continued to enter the system faster than the department processed them.
The pressure has grown steadily inside the permanent residence system. By December 2025, the permanent residence inventory had risen by 32,200 in a single month, and those streams accounted for more than half of all delayed cases.
That split between a falling total backlog and a rising permanent residence queue captured the mixed picture in the latest data. Some categories moved closer to service standards, while others drifted further away.
Work permits posted one of the clearest gains, with the backlog down 11% from January to February. Visitor visas also improved, with the backlog down 6% over the same period.
Processing times for Indian visitor visas dropped sharply, from 78 days to 23 days by April 2026. Citizenship grants also moved faster, with processing times improving from 14 months to 12 months.
Citizenship grants still carried a large queue, but one that was moving in the right direction. The backlog stood at 313,200 applications as of April 2026.
Express Entry showed a smaller but notable improvement. Its backlog fell 4%, and by December 2025 only 20% of applications were designated as backlog, within IRCC’s projected 30%.
Those gains contrasted with new strains in other economic streams. The Canadian Experience Class queue increased by more than 20,000 since February 2026.
The Atlantic Immigration Program also slowed. Processing delays there widened from 33 months to 40 months.
The new figures pointed to a system improving unevenly rather than broadly. Categories with shorter processing cycles, including visitor visas and work permits, showed measurable relief, while permanent residence streams continued to absorb more files than the department cleared.
Capacity concerns have sharpened that tension. Union representatives said a 20% staffing reduction mandated in the 2025 Fall Economic Statement risked eroding gains made through digitalization and AI triage initiatives.
The staffing issue matters most in the files that take longer to assess and finalize. Permanent residence processing carries more document review, eligibility checks and stream-specific requirements than many temporary residence categories, making sustained output harder to maintain when inventories rise.
January’s numbers illustrated that strain. IRCC processed 32,400 permanent residence applications in January 2026 and welcomed 24,100 new permanent residents, the lowest January figure since the pandemic recovery period.
That slowdown came while the permanent residence queue was still expanding. With only 47% of permanent residence files handled within service standards by late February, the gap between intake and processing remained visible in both inventory totals and delayed cases.
Service standards remain a central measure for judging whether the system is catching up or falling behind. In the latest data, the department showed that it could reduce the headline IRCC Backlog while still missing pace on permanent residence, the category that carries the largest and most persistent share of delayed applications.
The numbers also showed that improvement in one stream does not automatically transfer to another. Faster visitor visa decisions, including the drop for Indian applicants from 78 days to 23 days, and shorter citizenship grant timelines from 14 months to 12 months, did not prevent permanent residence inventory from crossing 1,007,400.
By the end of February, permanent residence had become the clearest pressure point inside the broader immigration system. More than half of delayed cases sat in those streams, even after the total backlog fell to its lowest level since July 2025.
That left IRCC entering spring with a divided record: fewer applications in the overall backlog, better results in several temporary and citizenship categories, and a permanent residence system that continued to move away from service standards as inventories climbed.
