Express Entry application backlog hits highest level in three years

The Canadian immigration department’s backlog of Express Entry applications has reached its highest level since October 2022.

The most recent data, published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on January 20, 2026, show the state of the application backlog as of November 30, 2025, on which date IRCC had 1,005,800 applications in its backlog, a modest decrease compared to the month prior (-900).

Compared to the month prior, the backlog for Express Entry applications rose from 27% to 32%, while the backlog for study permit applications fell from 41% to 36%.

The total number of applications in all IRCC inventories as of November 2025’s end was 2,130,700. Of these, 1,124,900 were being processed within service standards.

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The table below provides a snapshot of IRCC’s backlog over the course of 2025:

An application is classified as part of the backlog if its processing time exceeds the immigration department’s service standards for that application type.

Permanent residence applications

As of November 30, IRCC had 941,600 permanent residence (PR) applications in its inventory—an increase of 12,800 applications compared to October 31.

IRCC counts Express Entry, Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and family sponsorship applications in this category.

IRCC data shows that 426,600 (45%) of these PR applications were being processed within service standards, resulting in 515,000 PR applications designated as backlog.

For Express Entry applications specifically, 32% were considered backlog (against a projected 25%), up from 27% being considered backlog the month prior. This is the highest Express Entry backlog since October 2022 (45%).

The backlog for Express Entry-linked PNP applications increased as well, from 51% as of October’s end to 53% as of November 30. Similarly, this is the highest number of applications deemed backlog since March 2022.

On the other hand, the backlog for family sponsorship applications remained at 20%—same as the month prior.

Between January 1 to November 30, 2025, IRCC made a total of 414,700 decisions on PR applications and welcomed 367,500 new PRs to the country.

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Temporary residence applications

IRCC’s latest data shows that the department had 942,000 temporary resident applications in its inventory as of November 30—down from 999,100 as of October’s end, representing a notable decrease.

Of these 942,000 applications, 507,600 (54%) were being processed within service standards, resulting in 434,400 being designated as backlog.

This category consists of work permits, study permits, and visitor visas.

The work permit backlog saw a modest decrease, from 50% the month prior to 49% as of November 30. While it decreased, it’s still higher than the department’s projected backlog for the month of 44%.

For study permits, the department made a significant dent in backlogged applications—with only 36% being considered backlog, as compared to 41% as of October 31. This is lower than the projected backlog for the month (37%).

Finally, the visitor visa backlog saw neither an increase nor a decline—remaining at 57% for the third month in a row. This figure, however, overshoots the month’s projected backlog of 54%.

IRCC data shows that between January 1 and November 30, the department finalized 557,400 study permit applications and 1,221,300 work permit applications (including extensions for both permit types).

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Citizenship grants

As of November 30, IRCC had a total of 247,100 citizenship grant applications in its inventory—an increase of 7,200 compared to October 31.

Of this total quantity, 190,700 (77%) were being processed within service standards.

This leaves 56,400 (23%) of citizenship grant applications in the backlog—against a projected 21% for the month.

This is the fifth consecutive month where we see the citizenship grant backlog rise by 1%.

Between October 31 and November 30, 2025, the immigration department welcomed 25,100 new citizens.

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What is an IRCC service standard?

IRCC uses service standards as internal benchmarks to measure how quickly different types of applications should be processed.

These benchmarks outline the target time frame for completing the majority of applications within each category.

As an example, IRCC strives to process Express Entry applications within six months, while family sponsorship applications have a 12-month processing target.

If an application isn’t finalized within the department’s service standards, IRCC deems it a part of the backlog.

IRCC’s objective is to make a decision on 80% of applications within established timelines, acknowledging that the remaining 20% of cases may necessitate extended processing due to factors such as applications being more complex, requiring additional documentation, or additional verification requirements.

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