As of May 31 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reported a total of 1,517,770 applications awaiting final decision. The inventory includes permanent‑residence, temporary‑residence, and citizenship applications.
Permanent residence applications
- Total pending: 705,315
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 198,700
IRCC now classifies permanent‑residence (PR) applications into three categories:
Economic
- Pending: 238,335 (75 % in processing, 25 % awaiting admission space under the 2026‑2028 Immigration Levels Plan)
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 111,000
Economic pathways include Express Entry, federal business programs (start‑up visa, self‑employed persons), and regional economic programs.
Family
- Pending: 159,765 (60 % in processing, 40 % awaiting space)
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 45,900
Family sponsorship covers spousal/partner sponsorship, dependent‑child sponsorship, and the Parents and Grandparents Program, as well as international adoption.
Protection
- Pending: 307,215 (54 % in processing, 46 % awaiting space)
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 42,800
The Protection category includes protected persons, government‑assisted refugees, privately sponsored refugees, and applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Temporary residence applications
- Total pending: 404,070
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 1,288,905 (work permits, study permits, visitor visas)
Breakdown of pending temporary‑residence applications:
| Type | Pending as of May 31 |
|---|---|
| Work permits | 35,040 (finalized 140,775) |
| Study permits | 31,665 (finalized 74,370) |
| Visitor visas | 337,365 (finalized 1,073,755) |
Citizenship applications
- Total pending: 408,385
- Finalized (Jan 1 – May 31): 131,420 new citizens
Citizenship applications are split into:
- Citizenship grants: 326,365 pending (finalized 131,420)
- Proof of citizenship certificates: 82,020 pending (finalized 28,940)
These figures reflect IRCC’s latest data released on its updated “Inside IRCC’s application processing system” webpage on July 21 2026. The department no longer publishes the proportion of inventory processed within service standards.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
