Canada Immigration Backlog Shrinks Again – April 2025 PNP Update

IRCC Immigration Backlog Drops Again: April 2025 Update Shows Steady Progress

Key Highlights

• IRCC’s backlog fell to 760,200 applications as of April 30, 2025 — the lowest in six months
• Application backlog has remained under 1 million for five consecutive months
• Permanent resident backlog includes 391,000 applications, with 56% processed within service standards
• Temporary resident backlog includes 324,300 applications, led by work and visitor visa delays
• Citizenship applications continue to see strong processing rates, with only 19% backlogged
• IRCC credits improvements to automation, intake caps, and refined immigration targets

Canada’s Immigration Backlog Continues to Shrink in April 2025

If you’ve been keeping an eye on Canadian immigration trends, there’s some promising news to share. According to the latest update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the overall application backlog is continuing to shrink — a trend that began several months ago.

As of April 30, 2025, the IRCC reported a total of 760,200 applications in its backlog. That’s a drop of 2.53% from the previous month’s figure of 779,900. It also marks the fifth straight month that the backlog has stayed below the 1 million mark, bringing it to the lowest point in the last six months.

Let’s take a closer look at what this means for applicants, why these numbers matter, and how IRCC is working to improve wait times across various immigration streams.

Understanding the IRCC Backlog

So what exactly does IRCC mean by a “backlog”?

Each type of immigration application — whether it’s for permanent residence, temporary permits, or citizenship — comes with a published service standard. These are the expected timelines IRCC aims to meet when processing applications. For example:

• Express Entry: 6 months
• Family sponsorship: 12 months

If an application takes longer than the standard to be finalized, it’s officially considered part of the “backlog.”

IRCC targets to process about 80% of all applications within these service standards. The remaining 20% may naturally fall outside the timeline — especially in cases that are more complicated or require additional documentation.

Trends Over the Last Six Months

Here’s a quick snapshot of how the immigration backlog has changed month-to-month:

While the pace of improvement has slowed slightly in April, the overall trajectory remains positive.

Backlog by Application Category

Let’s break things down to see how different types of applications are faring in terms of delays and progress.

1. Permanent Residence Applications

As of April 30, 2025, there were 880,800 permanent residence (PR) applications in IRCC’s inventory. Of these:

• 489,800 were processed within service standards
• 391,000 were considered backlogged

This means 56% of PR applications were on track — not bad, but there’s room for improvement in some streams:

• Express Entry: 22% of applications were backlogged (target is 20%)
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 49% backlog vs. 35% target
• Family sponsorship: 14% backlog, meeting the 15% target

While Express Entry and family sponsorship are fairly close to their targets, PNP applications are facing higher-than-expected delays.

2. Temporary Resident Applications

Temporary resident (TR) applications — including work permits, study permits, and visitor visas — also make up a significant chunk of the IRCC workload. In April, the total number of TR applications reached 918,500. Here’s what the data shows:

• 594,200 processed within service standards
• 324,300 in the backlog

Here’s how each TR stream performed:

• Work Permits: 36% backlog (down from 42% last month, but still over the 26% target)
• Study Permits: 30% backlog (target is 15%)
• Visitor Visas: 54% backlog (target is 38%)

Although there’s clear progress, especially in work and study permits, IRCC still has ground to cover to meet their internal goals.

3. Citizenship Applications

There’s some good news when it comes to Canadian citizenship applications. IRCC continues to handle these efficiently. As of April:

• Total applications: 242,500
• Processed within service standards: 81%
• Backlog: 44,900 applications (19%)

These numbers have remained consistent month-over-month, which speaks to the department’s streamlined approach in this area.

What’s Helping IRCC Reduce Wait Times?

So how is IRCC managing to make this kind of progress?

A few key initiatives are making a difference:

1. Smarter Use of Technology

Since late 2024, IRCC has been using advanced analytics and automation tools to assist officers with sorting and reviewing applications. These tools don’t replace human oversight, but they do help flag complex cases and streamline simpler ones — saving precious time.

2. Intake Caps on Applications

By limiting the number of applications accepted under some programs, IRCC can better manage processing volumes. For example, the 2025 study permit cap was set at 550,162 applications. Similarly, the Home Care Worker Pilot had a cap of just 5,500 applications this year — helping reduce strain on the system.

3. Adjusted Immigration Targets

Finally, the federal government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan includes more conservative permanent residency targets. This slower intake pace gives IRCC more breathing room to catch up on older files.

Final Thoughts

While there’s still work to be done, the steady drop in Canada’s immigration backlog is a sign of meaningful progress. Whether you’re applying for permanent residence, a study or work permit, or Canadian citizenship, these updates show that IRCC is actively working to improve processing times.

If you’re currently waiting on an application, hang in there — and remember to keep your details up to date and respond promptly to any IRCC requests to avoid additional delays.

Looking to stay informed about immigration trends and updates? Check out our latest guides on Express Entry and study permit changes.

Want help planning your Canadian immigration journey? Reach out to our team today or sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox!