IRCC provided its latest inventory data of applications submitted by various sources like PR applicants, international students, temporary workers, and visitors.
Data reporting
The data represents the number of persons currently awaiting processing by IRCC.Permanent residence inventory data is from March 15 and temporary residence inventory data is from March 17. The reason for the difference is when IRCC provided the March 15 temporary residence data initially, the “visitor record” data was missing. As IRCC does not keep snapshots of their inventory, except when requested, it was not possible for the media representatives to verify the March 15 visitor record data. The March 17 temporary residence data was provided when requested.
Where has IRCC made progress since last month?
Significant progress is being made onCEC andFSWP applications. There are just 10,400 CEC persons left to be processed, which suggests IRCC could wind down this backlog by the spring. Meanwhile, tremendous progress is being made on FSWP applications. In the last two weeks, IRCC has processed more FSWP applicants than it did over a seven-month period in 2021. The department processed 4,000 FSWP persons between February 28 and March 15. At this current rate, the department could also wind down the FSWP backlog in the second half of this year.The family class inventory has shown some progress in the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), as well as the humanitarian and compassionate category. Although there was some growth in the spouses, partners, children and other categories, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has said that processing standards for new applications are back to the 12-month standard. The government offers a tool for spousal sponsorship applicants to monitor their application status.
Express Entry inventory
| Immigration category | Persons as of Mar. 15 | Persons as of Feb. 1 | Difference |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (EE) | 41,336 | 49,751 | -8,415 |
| Canadian Experience Class (EE) | 10,388 | 15,139 | -4,751 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (EE) | 36,590 (EE) + 34,621 (No EE) | 68,682 (EE + No EE) | +2,529 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (EE) | 589 | 805 | -216 |
| Grand total | 123,524 | 134,337 | -10,813 |
Family class immigration
| Immigration category | Persons as of Mar. 15 | Persons as of Feb. 1 | Difference |
| FCH-Family relations – H&C | 3,320 | 3,350 | -30 |
| Parents and Grandparents | 35,324 | 36,046 | -722 |
| Spouses, partners, children, other family | 55,301 (spouses) + 9,166 (children and other) | 62,826 | +1,641 |
| Total Family Class | 103,112 | 102,222 | +890 |
Where and why has the backlog grown since February?
As of the end of February 2022, the citizenship inventory is 453,265. This figure includes all prospective, mailroom estimates and unopened electronic applications.IRCC previously reported the backlog for citizenship applicants was standing at about 448,000 on December 31, 2021.
TheTR2PR pathway also saw an increase of about 5,400 applicants. Even though IRCC received all applications for this program between May 6 and November 5, 2021, these applications were saved in a cloud environment and not yet considered part of the inventory, an IRCC spokesperson said in an email to CIC News. The applications were then transferred to the Global Case Management System and counted in the inventory. IRCC received about 91,000 applications in total for the TR2PR program. As of March 15, 35,341 persons were reported in the inventory.
Other permanent residency program inventories that saw significant increases include the paper-based Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the Caring for Children Program, and the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
Permanent residence
| Immigration category | Persons as of Mar. 15 | Persons as of Feb. 1 | Difference |
| Economic Class | 230,767 | 230,573 | +194 |
| Family Class | 103,112 | 102,222 | +890 |
| Humanitarian and Compassionate/Public Policy | 27,218 | 27,436 | -218 |
| Permit Holders Class | 18 | 21 | -3 |
| Protected Persons | 157,552 | 158,778 | -1,226 |
| Grand total | 518,667 | 519,030 | -363 |
Economic class immigration
| Immigration category | Persons as of Mar. 15 | Persons as of Feb. 28 | Persons as of Feb. 1 | Difference |
| Agri-Food Pilot Program | 649 | 653 | N/A | -4 |
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot Programs | 2,672 | 2,577 | N/A | +95 |
| Canadian Experience Class (EE) | 10,388 | 12,088 | 15,139 | -4,751 |
| Canadian Experience Class (No EE) | 107 | 84 | N/A | +23 |
| Caring For Children Program | 17,585 | 16,316 | 16,085 | +1,500 |
| Federal Self Employed | 5,263 | 5,181 | 5,396 | -133 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (C-50) | 190 | 197 | N/A | -7 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (EE) | 41,336 | 45,437 | 49,751 | -8,415 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (Pre C-50) | 23 | 23 | N/A | 0 |
| High Medical Needs Program | 16 | 15 | N/a | +1 |
| Live-in Caregiver Program | 1,268 | 1,328 | N/A | -60 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (EE) | 36,590 | 37,484 | 68,682 (EE + No EE) | -894 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (No EE) | 34,621 | 32,106 | N/A | +2,515 |
| Quebec Entrepreneur | 408 | 416 | N/A | -8 |
| Quebec Investor | 14,309 | 13,845 | 14,117 | +464 |
| Quebec Self Employed | 121 | 89 | N/A | +32 |
| Quebec Skilled Workers | 26,997 | 26,217 | 25,263 | +1,734 |
| Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot | 870 | 897 | N/A | -27 |
| Skilled Trades (EE) | 589 | 632 | 723 | -134 |
| Skilled Trades (No EE) | 3 | 3 | N/A | 0 |
| Start-up Business | 1,421 | 1,295 | N/A | +126 |
| TR to PR | 35,341 | 34,304 | 29,864 | +5,477 |
| Ministerial Instruction Economic Programs | N/A | N/A | 5,553 | N/A |
| Total Economic Class | 230,767 | 231,187 | 230,573 | +194 |
Temporary residence
| TR category | Persons as of Mar. 17 | Persons as of Feb. 1 | Difference |
| Study Permit | 111,192 | 112,185 | -993 |
| Study Permit Extension | 30,533 | 26,479 | +4,054 |
| Temporary Resident Visa | 419,243 | 420,097 | -854 |
| Visitor Record | 68,528 | 65,093 | +3,435 |
| Work Permit | 100,205 | 85,526 | +14,679 |
| Work Permit Extension | 142,791 | 139,218 | +3,573 |
| Grand total | 872,492 | 848,598 | +23,894 |
Major changes since autumn 2021
IRCC has stopped holding Express Entry draws for CEC candidates since the fall of 2021, and for FSWP candidates since December 2020. The reason was to clear the large inventory of applications that caused processing times to increase. Pausing Express Entry draws for these programs means no new applications are coming in for them, allowing officers to process the backlog. IRCC has, however, been holding PNP draws biweekly in record numbers.
Public IRCC suggest that Express Entry draws for FSWP and CEC candidates will resume in 2022, once the backlogs are reduced and the six-month processing standard can resume.
In the 2012 budget, Canada allocated $85 million to reduce processing times across all IRCC lines of business. Minister Fraser has said this budget will allow Canada to return to processing service standards for study permits, work permits, and permanent resident card renewals by the end of the year.
Canada released the 2022-2024 immigration plans to admit record numbers of newcomers every year for the next three years. The Express Entry targets are significantly reduced for 2022 and 2023 but return to over 110,000 immigrants in 2024.
