Canada’s 2025 Immigration Processing Targets Revealed

Canada’s 2025 Immigration Processing Targets Revealed

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that only select permanent residence (PR) programs will have their entire application inventories processed in 2025.

According to the latest Minister Transition Binder, IRCC plans to clear all pending applications under:

  • Express Entry programs (CEC, FSWP, FSTP)
  • Express Entry-aligned PNP streams
  • Community Pilots (including RCIP, FCIP, and RNIP)
  • Quebec’s Skilled Worker pathways (PEQ, PSTQ, and Pilot Programs)

All other economic PR pathways will only see partial processing this year.

Processing Targets for 2025

  • Base PNP (non-Express Entry): 35% of inventory
  • Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP): 33%
  • Caregiver Pilots: 14%
  • Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP): 12%
  • Agri-Food Pilot: 5%
  • Quebec Business programs: 3%
  • Start-Up Visa: just 2%

Wait Times (as of mid-2025)

  • Express Entry: ~6 months
  • Base PNP: up to 19–24 months
  • Caregivers: over 8 years
  • Start-Up Visa: over 3 years
  • Quebec Business: up to 9 years

While most Express Entry and Quebec Skilled Worker files will be finalized within 2025, backlogs remain significant in older pilot and business immigration streams.

IRCC has also closed several intakes, including the caregiver “applicants not in Canada” stream, signaling a shift toward faster processing for key economic pathways.