As per the official reports of IRCC, the immigration backlog of the August 31 inventory witnessed a reduction to 95,204 individuals within six weeks. Canadian immigration backlog was reduced to 2.6 million.
All the business field inventories have shown progress since July:
- August 31, 2022: 2,583,827 persons
- July 15-17, 2022: 2,679,031 persons
- June 1-6, 2022: 2,387,884 persons
- April 30-May 2, 2022: 2,130,385 persons
- April 11-12, 2022: 2,031,589 persons
- March 15 and 17, 2022: 1,844,424 persons
- February 1, 2022: 1,815,628 persons
- December 15, 2021: 1,813,144 persons
- October 27, 2021: 1,792,404 persons
- July 6, 2021: 1,447,474 persons
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada introduced a new tracking system for individuals to track the inventory. As per IRCC’s tracking webpage, 2.4 million inventories were available on July 31. The service standard inventories contributed to 1.1 million, whereas 1.3 million remained on the backlog.
| Immigration category | Persons as of August 31, 2022 |
| Permanent residence | 513,923 |
| Temporary residence | 1,698,284 |
| Citizenship | 371,620 |
| Grand total | 2,583,827 |
The inventory for citizenship consists of 371,620 applications as recorded on September 21, whereas there are 444,792 applications as recorded on July 17.
As per the August 31 inventory, there were 513,923 applicants for permanent residency, in contrast with the July 17 514,116 inventory.
All three primary groups observed a decline.
Inventories related to PNP and Express Entry
40,180 applicants under Express Entry continue to wait. However, the number of applicants waiting is comparatively less as compared to the previous month, which accounted for 51,616 individuals.
IRCC resumed all programs under the Express Entry system and continued to conduct the invitation rounds. IRCC sent invitations to only candidates under the Provincial Nominee Programs to apply for immigration.
Also, Express Entry manages certain programs, including the Enhanced PNP’s, while other programs, such as the Base PNP’s, are carried out by the provinces with their own system systems.
Programs under the Express Entry saw a decline in the inventories while the base PNP’s increased from 35,599 in July to 41,832 in August.
Family class inventory continues to increase
Family class immigration programs witness an inventory increase from 118,251 (in July) to 125,746.
The Spouses and Partners program comprises 61,073 inventories, contributing to the second largest inventory compared to all other immigration programs.
Refugees (privately sponsored) contributed to the largest inventory with 68,123 individuals.
There are around 53,029 individuals still waiting for the decisions under the Parents and Grandparents Program and this was an increase since July when 47,025 applicants.
Immigration backlog reduction- IRCC’s initiatives
Fraser had talked about Canada’s backlog immigration system and the initiatives to be taken by the Canadian government by introducing 1,250 new staff members. The other measures include updating modern operations under IRCC, application status trackers, and posting the latest monthly data on the website.
Tables for Inventories
You could refer to the following tables to gain more clarity on IRCC’s inventory:
Inventory for Permanent residence
| Permanent residency class | Persons as of August 31 |
| Economic class | 206,688 |
| Family class | 125,746 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate | 29,224 |
| Permit holders class | 16 |
| Protected person class | 152,249 |
| Total | 513,923 |
Inventory for Economic class
| Immigration category | Persons as of August 31 |
| Agri-Food Pilot Program | 866 |
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot Programs | 1,528 |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 210 |
| Canadian Experience Class (EE) | 5,214 |
| Canadian Experience Class (No EE) | 118 |
| Caring For Children Program | 29,179 |
| Federal Investor | 4 |
| Federal Self Employed | 4,022 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (C-50) | 120 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (EE) | 11,669 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (Pre C-50) | 23 |
| High Medical Needs Program | 4 |
| Live-in Caregiver Program | 832 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (EE) | 22,998 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (No EE) | 41,832 |
| Quebec Entrepreneur | 259 |
| Quebec Investor | 10,727 |
| Quebec Self Employed | 82 |
| Quebec Skilled Workers | 23,559 |
| Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot | 1,103 |
| Skilled Trades (EE) | 299 |
| Skilled Trades (No EE) | 5 |
| Start-up Business | 1,314 |
| TR to PR | 50,721 |
| Total | 206,688 |
Inventory for Express Entry
| Immigration program | Persons as of August 31 |
| Federal Skilled Workers (EE) | 11,669 |
| Canadian Experience Class (EE) | 5,214 |
| Skilled Trades (EE) | 299 |
| Provincial/Territorial Nominees (EE) | 22,998 |
| Total | 40,180 |
Family Class Inventory
| Immigration program | Persons as of August 31 |
| Children & Other Family Class | 8,880 |
| FCH-Family relations – H&C | 2,764 |
| Parents and Grandparents | 53,029 |
| Spouses & Partners | 61,073 |
| Total | 125,746 |
Inventory for Humanitarian and compassionate class
| Immigration program | Persons as of August 31 |
| HC & PH class-ADM Dependant Person Overseas | 8,880 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate Straight | 2,764 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate with Risk or Discrimination | 53,029 |
| Public Policy With RAP | 61,073 |
| Public Policy Without RAP | 4,385 |
| Total | 29,224 |
Inventory for Permit class
| Immigration program | Persons as of August 31 |
| Permit holders class | 16 |
| Total | 16 |
Inventory for Protected person’s
| Immigration program | Persons as of August 31 |
| Blended Visa Office-Referred | 148 |
| Dependants Abroad of Protected Persons | 26,919 |
| Federal Government-assisted Refugees | 32,365 |
| Privately Sponsored Refugees | 68,128 |
| Protected Persons Landed In Canada | 23,572 |
| Quebec Government-assisted Refugees | 1,117 |
| Total | 152,249 |
Inventory for Temporary residence
| Application type | Persons as of August 31 |
| Study Permits | 152,147 |
| Study Permits Extensions | 23,896 |
| Temporary Resident Visas | 896,772 |
| Visitor Record | 96,598 |
| Work Permits | 359,247 |
| Work Permits Extensions | 169,624 |
| Total | 1,698,284 |
