Immigration Announcement
IRCC Immigration Backlog Takes a 5% Dip, Shows Remarkable Progress
According to the latest update from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) brings forth uplifting news for aspiring immigrants. The Canadian immigration backlog has seen a substantial drop of 46,200 (-4.93%) as of the recent update on December 20, 2023.
Let’s delve into the details of this latest development and understand how it impacts those waiting for their Canadian dreams to be fulfilled.
IRCC Backlog Overview
- Citizenship: The backlog stands at 53,000, marking a commendable decrease of 6.03% since October 31.
- Permanent Residence: Backlog shows resilience, dipping slightly to 287,300, with a marginal decrease of 0.07% from October 31.
- Temporary Residence: Backlog experiences a remarkable drop, now standing at 550,000, reflecting a substantial 7.19% reduction since October 31.
- Total Impact: The total immigration backlog registers a noteworthy 4.93% decrease, reaching 890,300 applications as of November 30.
Month-to-Month Comparison
- Temporary Residence Backlog (550,000) – Surpassing service standards, this backlog accounts for 47% of the total 1,170,000 applications for Temporary Residence.
- Permanent Residence Backlog (287,300) – Exceeding service standards, the permanent residence backlog stands at 44% of the 653,000 total applications for PR.
- Citizenship Grant Backlog (53,000) – this backlog constitutes 20% of the total 269,700 applications for the grant of citizenship, exceeding service standards.
Applications Within Service Standards (November 30)
- Citizenship: 216,700 (0.9% from October 31)
- Permanent Residence: 365,700 (4.0% from October 31)
- Temporary Residence: 620,000 (-6.6% from October 31)
- Total: 1,202,400 (-2.3% from October 31)
IRCC Backlog Trends in 2023
| Backlog Update Date | Applications In Backlog | Total Applications Under Processing | Backlog Net Age Change Month-on-Month |
| Nov 30, 2023 | 890,300 | 2,092,700 | -4.93% |
| Oct 31, 2023 | 936,500 | 2,166,800 | 0.86% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 928,500 | 2,194,900 | 9.9% |
| Aug 31, 2023 | 844,700 | 2,198,700 | 5.2% |
| July 31, 2023 | 802,600 | 2,274,600 | 0.2% |
| June 30, 2023 | 801,000 | 2,264,000 | -2.3% |
| May 31, 2023 | 820,000 | 2,248,000 | 1.4% |
| April 30, 2023 | 809,000 | 2,006,000 | -9.7% |
| March 31, 2023 | 896,300 | 2,017,700 | -1.5% |
| Feb 28, 2023 | 910,400 | 1,962,600 | -6.6% |
| Jan 31, 2023 | 974,600 | 1,944,500 | 6.1% |
IRCC 2023’s Move with Responding to the Backlog
As of November 30, 2023, the IRCC is managing 2,092,700 applications. The government now has 120 days to respond to the immigration report. How they respond—whether with a detailed recommendation report, a general letter, or an interim response—is entirely up to them. Moreover, the government holds the authority to decide which recommendations, if any, to act upon. The next few months will reveal the course Canada will take in shaping its immigration policies. Stay tuned for updates!
