Canada Processes Over 414000 Permanent Residence Decisions by November 2025

Canada’s immigration system maintained strong momentum through most of 2025, processing large volumes of applications across permanent residence, citizenship, and temporary residence programs. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, more than 414,700 permanent residence decisions were finalized between January 1 and November 30, 2025, resulting in 367,500 new permanent residents.

These figures demonstrate continued system throughput even as the federal government works to rebalance immigration levels for sustainability.

Permanent Residence Performance

The permanent residence figures reflect approvals across multiple categories, including Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program pathways, and family sponsorships. While IRCC can only approve a fixed number of applications each year under the Immigration Levels Plan, decision-making volumes remain high to prevent long-term backlogs.

IRCC has stated its objective is to process 80 percent of applications within established service standards, while allowing flexibility for complex cases.

Citizenship Applications Show Strong Progress

Between April 1 and November 30, 2025, Canada granted citizenship to 181,600 individuals. Citizenship processing has remained a priority as IRCC works through accumulated inventories while maintaining ceremony capacity and integrity checks.

Temporary Residence Volumes Remain Substantial

Temporary residence processing also remained robust:

• Study permits finalized: 557,400
• Work permits finalized, including extensions: 1,221,300

These numbers highlight Canada’s continued reliance on international students and foreign workers to support labour markets and educational institutions, even as future targets are adjusted.

Managing Inventories and Backlogs

As of November 30, 2025, IRCC reported 2,130,700 total applications across all inventories. These include both applications within service standards and those exceeding them.

When application intake exceeds available admission spaces, files may remain in inventory until capacity opens in future years, contributing to longer wait times.

Policy Context Moving Into 2026

Under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada aims to stabilize permanent resident admissions while reducing temporary resident volumes. The focus is shifting toward economic needs in sectors such as healthcare, construction, and skilled trades.

The 2025 data suggest that IRCC is actively managing demand while maintaining high processing output ahead of policy adjustments.

Tracking Canada’s Immigration Processing Trends and Backlogs?

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