Unprecedented delays in processing Canadian immigration applications have left applicants and legal representatives astonished, with wait times stretching up to 50 years in certain permanent residency programs, rendering the system unworkable.
Olha Kushko, who arrived in Ottawa in 2023 with her family from Kyiv under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) following Russia’s invasion, expressed disbelief at the situation. “It doesn’t make sense. I can’t believe it,” Kushko remarked.
Recent applicants for permanent residence (PR) through Canada’s humanitarian and compassionate stream are facing wait times ranging from 12 to 600 months, as outlined in the immigration minister’s May 2025 “transition binder.”
Similar extended delays are reported in other immigration pathways:
- Up to 108 months (nine years) for the caregivers stream.
- Up to 228 months (19 years) for the agri-food program.
- Up to 420 months (35 years) for entrepreneurs under the startup visa stream.
Legal professionals have expressed concerns over these unprecedented processing times released by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), fearing potential mass application cancellations if the government enacts stringent border measures.
While questioned about this possibility, a spokesperson for Minister Lena Metlege Diab stated, “We can’t presuppose any future policy decisions.”
Kushko, who applied for PR under the humanitarian and compassionate program in June, faces an estimated wait time of more than 10 years, with a substantial queue ahead.
Kushko expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding her family’s future, especially as their work permits are nearing expiration next spring.
Other applicants under the humanitarian stream share similar worries, hoping that the lengthy wait times indicated may not translate into the actual processing duration.
Immigration lawyers are demanding clarity and transparency from IRCC, urging the government to address the prolonged processing times, which have left applicants in limbo for potentially decades.
They might as well just come out and say, ‘We don’t want to process them.’– Claire Houkayem, immigration lawyer
Concerns have been raised about the possibility of application cancellations in certain immigration streams, with legal experts highlighting the lack of a clear pathway to permanent residence for many individuals invited to Canada.
Notably, the government has emphasized that the disclosed processing times are accurate, aiming to restore balance to the immigration system amid reduced admission targets.
While uncertainties loom over the future of pending applications, IRCC stated that decisions on utilizing powers granted by potential legislative changes would be made with deliberation and without unilateral actions.
