Work permit and Express Entry processing times drop, i.e., new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada shows that the total number of pending immigration applications has gone down again. The backlog dropped by 48,900 compared to the previous month.

As of February 28, the total backlog stood at 941,400 applications. Compared to January 31, the biggest changes were:

  • An 11% drop in the work permit backlog
  • A 6% decrease in the visitor visa backlog
  • A 4% decline in both Express Entry and study permit backlogs

In total, IRCC had 2,092,700 applications in its system by the end of February. This number is slightly higher than January, with an increase of 700 applications.

Out of these, 1,151,300 applications were processed within the set service standards.

The table below shows how the backlog has changed over time. It is now at its lowest level since July 2025:

Month Immigration Backlog Change Relative To Preceding Month
July, 2025 901,700 +6.98%
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%
February, 2026 941,400 −4.94%

Permanent Residence Application Trends

By the end of February, the number of permanent residence (PR) applications crossed one million. The total reached 1,007,400, which is 11,900 more than at the end of January.

IRCC processed 470,600 of these applications within its service standards. This is about 47% of the total. As a result, 536,800 PR applications were still in the backlog.

This category includes applications under Express Entry, enhanced Provincial Nominee Program, and family sponsorship (outside Quebec).

The backlog for Express Entry improved further. It dropped from 15% in January to 11% by the end of February. This is the lowest level recorded since IRCC started sharing this data.

The enhanced PNP backlog also improved, falling from 42% to 40%. This is within the expected level of 45%.

For family sponsorship applications, the backlog stayed at 22%, the same as the previous month. However, the expected backlog for this category increased from 20% to 25%.

Between January 1 and February 28, 2026, IRCC:

  • Processed 70,400 PR applications
  • Welcomed 53,400 new permanent residents to Canada

Temporary Residence Application Updates

By February 28, there were 824,500 temporary residence applications in IRCC’s system. This is 20,900 fewer than in January.

Out of these, 480,400 applications were processed within service standards, which is 58% of the total. The remaining 344,100 applications were considered backlog.

This group includes work permits, study permits, and visitor visas.

Work permit backlogs showed a strong improvement. By the end of February, only 27% of work permit applications were in the backlog. This is much lower than 38% in January and below the expected 30%.

The study permit backlog also went down, from 50% in January to 46% in February. However, it is still higher than the expected 41%.

Visitor visa backlogs also improved. The percentage dropped from 54% to 48%. This is close to the expected level of 43%.

From January 1 to February 28, 2026, IRCC finalized:

  • 302,800 work permit applications (including extensions)
  • 74,300 study permit applications (including extensions)

Citizenship Application Updates

By the end of February, IRCC had 260,800 citizenship grant applications in its system. This is an increase of 9,700 compared to January.

Out of these, 200,300 applications (77%) were processed within service standards. This leaves 60,500 applications, or 23%, in the backlog. This is slightly better than 24% in the previous month and is within the expected level of 27%.

Between April 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, Canada welcomed 509,100 new citizens.

Understanding IRCC Service Standards

IRCC uses service standards to show how long it usually takes to process applications. These are internal targets set by the department.

The goal is to process 80% of applications within the given time. For example, Express Entry applications usually take around six months, while family sponsorship applications may take about 12 months.

If an application takes longer than the set time and is still not completed, it is counted as part of the backlog.

IRCC also notes that about 20% of applications may take longer. This can happen due to complex cases, missing documents, or extra background and security checks.

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