Canada’s immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), reports that the Express Entry backlog reached its highest point in more than three years as of November 30, 2025.
Overall, IRCC had just over 1 million applications classified as backlog, roughly unchanged from the previous month. Within that total, Express Entry stood out. The share of applications exceeding service standards rose from 27 percent to 32 percent, well above the department’s 25 percent target.
Permanent residence inventories continued to grow, with more than half a million PR applications considered backlogged. Express Entry linked PNP files were particularly affected, with over half exceeding processing timelines, while family sponsorship remained stable.
Temporary residence results were mixed. Study permit processing improved noticeably, reducing the backlog to 36 percent. Work permits saw only minor improvement, and visitor visa backlogs remained high and unchanged.
Citizenship applications also showed continued pressure, with backlogs increasing for the fifth month in a row.
IRCC considers an application backlogged once it passes its service standard, such as the six month target for Express Entry. The department’s goal remains to process 80 percent of files on time, though rising volumes continue to strain the system.
