Canada processed over 1.5 million temporary residence applications in the first half of 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released updated application figures showing over 1.5 million temporary residence applications finalized between January 1 and June 30, 2026. The inventory of pending applications for students, foreign workers, and visitors stood at 401,280 files. Processing priorities include expedited two-week study permit processing for PhD students and 14-day work permit streams for up to 5,000 licensed doctors under provincial nominee pathways. Visitor visas formed the largest share of processed files, with over 1.3 million finalized. IRCC noted that applications exceeding annual level targets wait for available spaces in subsequent years, affecting overall processing timelines.

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