By the end of January, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) total application backlog decreased to 990,300, marking the first time it fell below one million since October 2025.
The recent update on the backlog reveals notable changes compared to the previous month:
- Study permit backlog increased by 14%.
- Work permit backlog decreased by 8%.
- Enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) backlog decreased by 6%.
At the close of January, IRCC’s total application count was 2,092,000, showing a reduction of 35,500 applications within a month.
Out of these, the department successfully processed 1,101,700 applications meeting service standards.
Below is a summary of the application backlog in the past six months for comparison:
| Month | Immigration backlog | Change relative to preceding month |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
Permanent residence applications
As of January 31, IRCC had a total of 995,500 permanent residence (PR) applications in its inventory—an increase of 21,700 compared to the previous month.
Out of these, the immigration department processed 460,200 applications within service standards, leaving 535,300 applications in backlog status.
This category includes Express Entry, PNP (Express Entry-aligned), and Canadian family sponsorship visa applications.