Canada opens book on number of waitlisted permanent residence applications
Canada's immigration department began releasing monthly updates on July 21, 2026, showing how many permanent residence applications are in active processing versus waitlisted for future processing due to insufficient admission spaces.
Key points
✓IRCC now publishes monthly data on waitlisted PR applications across three categories: Economic, Family, and Protection
✓As of May 31, 2026, 705,315 PR applications were awaiting finalization, with 25% of Economic applications waitlisted, 40% of Family applications waitlisted, and 46% of Protection applications waitlisted
✓Applications are waitlisted when they exceed the spaces available under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan
✓2026 target admissions are 380,000 (outside Quebec): 239,800 Economic, 84,000 Family, 49,300 Refugees and protected persons, 6,900 Humanitarian and other
✓This is the first time the federal government has released details on the proportion of PR applications being set aside for future processing
What this means for you
If you've applied for permanent residence, you can now check monthly updates to see what proportion of applications in your category are actively being processed versus waitlisted. Being waitlisted means your application will be processed in a future year when spaces become available under Canada's immigration plan. Processing times may be longer if your application falls into a category with many waitlisted cases.
Full detail
Starting July 21, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began sharing monthly updates on its application inventory webpage showing the breakdown of permanent residence applications in active processing versus those waitlisted. Applications are waitlisted when the number of submissions exceeds the spaces available under Canada's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
Data from May 31, 2026, shows that of 705,315 total PR applications awaiting finalization, waitlisting rates varied significantly by category. In the Economic category, 25% of 238,335 applications were waitlisted. The Family category had 40% of 159,765 applications waitlisted. The Protection category showed the highest waitlisting rate, with 46% of 307,215 applications waitlisted.
The figures released cover three permanent residence pathways: Economic (including Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, Atlantic Immigration Program, and other regional programs); Family (spousal, partner, child, and parent/grandparent sponsorship, plus international adoptions); and Protection (protected persons, government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, and humanitarian and compassionate cases).
IRCC will update these figures monthly based on inventory counts at the end of each month. The next update was expected in mid- to late August with data accurate as of June 30. As part of this change, IRCC stopped releasing information on the proportion of applications processed within service standards.
What does it mean if my application is waitlisted?
A waitlisted application means IRCC has received more applications for your program than there are spaces available under the current Immigration Levels Plan. Your application will be processed once spaces become available in a future year, which can increase processing times.
How often will IRCC release waitlist data?
IRCC will release updated figures monthly on its application inventory webpage, with data accurate as of the end of each month.
Which permanent residence categories have the highest waitlisting rates?
As of May 31, 2026, the Protection category had the highest waitlisting rate at 46%, followed by Family at 40%, and Economic at 25%.
Is this the first time Canada has released waitlist information?
Yes, this is the first time the federal government has released details on the proportion of PR applications being waitlisted for future processing.
General information, not legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules change often — confirm details on the official source above and, for your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.