Recent data from the immigration department reveals a significant decrease in the total application backlog, reaching its lowest level since July 2025 in April 2026.
Key highlights from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) backlog update include:
- Express Entry backlog at a record low of 9%.
- 5% decrease in the study permit backlog.
- 3% increase in the work permit backlog.
In April 2026, IRCC had 2,153,900 applications in inventories, with 1,231,200 processed within service standards and 922,700 backlogged.
Comparing IRCC’s total application backlog since July 2025:
| Month | Total immigration backlog | Change relative to preceding month |
|---|---|---|
| July, 2025 | 901,700 | +6.98% |
| August, 2025 | 958,850 | +6.33% |
| September, 2025 | 996,700 | +3.95% |
| October, 2025 | 1,006,700 | +1.00% |
| November, 2025 | 1,005,800 | -0.09% |
| December, 2025 | 1,014,700 | +0.88% |
| January, 2026 | 990,300 | -2.41% |
| February, 2026 | 941,400 | -4.94% |
| March, 2026 | 935,000 | -0.68% |
| April, 2026 | 922,700 | -1.32% |
Permanent residence applications
As of April 30, there were 1,038,100 permanent residence (PR) applications in the immigration department’s backlog—an 18,900 month-over-month increase.
IRCC processed 480,400 (46%) of these applications within service standards, leaving 557,700 designated as backlog. This represents an increase in the number of applications processed within service standards, compared to the month prior (477,100).