Canada Immigration Backlog September 2025: 57,150 New Cases Added in One Month

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its latest update, confirming that the Canada Immigration Backlog September 2025 has reached a concerning new high. As of August 31, 2025, the backlog stood at 958,850 applications, an increase of 57,150 cases in a single month compared to July’s 901,700.

This sharp rise comes despite a slight drop in total application inventory, which fell from 2,226,600 in July to 2,199,400 in August. However, the share of applications outside service standards has now risen to 43.6%, signaling significant strain on the system.

Over the past three months (June to August), the backlog has grown by 116,050 cases (+13.8%), underlining IRCC’s ongoing struggles to keep pace with demand.

Category Breakdown – Canada Immigration Backlog September 2025

🔹 Citizenship

As of August 31, the citizenship application inventory stood at 259,500, with 51,200 backlogged (19.7%) and 208,300 within standards (80.3%).

• Month-on-month change: inventory +4,600 (+1.8%), backlog +2,400 (+4.9%), within-standard +2,200 (+1.1%).

• Since June 30: inventory +6,800 (+2.7%), backlog +3,800 (+8.0%), within-standard +3,000 (+1.5%).

While backlogs have doubled compared to 2023 (from 30,000 to over 50,000), this category remains relatively stable, with most cases still processed within the 12-month standard. Minor applications are typically processed faster (8–10 months), while adult applications take longer. Applicants in high-volume provinces like Ontario, which handles 40% of cases, may face slightly longer waits.

🔹 Permanent Residency

Permanent residency is the core driver of the Canada Immigration Backlog September 2025. Out of 901,800 PR applications, 470,300 are backlogged (52.1%), leaving 431,500 within standards (47.9%).

• Month-on-month change: inventory +9,400 (+1.1%), backlog +26,800 (+6.0%), within-standard -17,400 (-3.9%).

• Since June 30: inventory +5,700 (+0.6%), backlog +54,500 (+13.1%), within-standard -48,800 (-10.2%).

This single category accounted for 47% of the entire system’s backlog growth since June.

Sub-stream analysis:

• Economic streams (Express Entry and related) represent about 280,000 backlogged cases, with median processing times of 6–8 months.

• Family sponsorships face about 90,000 delayed cases, often stretching to 18 months due to verification processes.

The rising PR backlog reflects capacity overload: more than half of all PR files are outside IRCC’s service standards.

🔹 Temporary Residency

Temporary residency applications (study, work, and visitor permits) totaled 1,038,100 in August, with 437,300 backlogged (42.1%) and 600,750 within standards (57.9%).

• Month-on-month change: inventory -41,200 (-3.8%), backlog +27,900 (+6.8%), within-standard -69,150 (-10.3%).

• Since June 30: inventory -2,600 (-0.2%), backlog +57,700 (+15.2%), within-standard -60,350 (-9.1%).

The paradox here is clear: even as total inventory fell, the backlog grew sharply, pointing to processing slowdowns in peak summer months.

Sub-stream analysis:

• Study permits: over 200,000 backlogged, with median delays of 4 months. Caps introduced for 2025 (360,000 new study permits) are further straining this category.

• Work permits: around 300,000 backlogged, averaging 6 months, with LMIA-dependent cases facing longer delays due to stricter scrutiny.

IRCC finalized more than 1.5 million temporary permits (594,300 study, 931,300 work) year-to-date, showing capacity exists, but delays persist.

Implications and Conclusion

The Canada Immigration Backlog September 2025 highlights major challenges for applicants and stakeholders alike:

• Students risk missing academic start dates.

• Employers face shortages of skilled workers.

• Families endure prolonged separation in sponsorship streams.

• The economy—with nearly 29% of its labor force made up of immigrants—faces reduced productivity.

Overall, backlog growth is concentrated in PR and TR categories, which together account for 94.6% of all delayed cases. Within-standard processing has dropped to 56.4%, far below IRCC’s 80% target.

Despite these challenges, Canada continues to admit large numbers of newcomers: over 276,900 permanent residents so far this year. This demonstrates that capacity exists, but system reforms and more efficient resource management are urgently needed.

For applicants, the best strategies remain clear: submit complete and error-free applications, monitor IRCC’s portal regularly, and consider timing submissions strategically.

Source : canada.ca/immigration
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