Surge in CSIS immigration security screenings creates multi-year processing delays

Surging immigration security screening volumes have caused significant backlogs, leaving thousands of citizenship and permanent residence applicants facing multi-year delays. According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), screening requests rose from 356,200 in 2019 to a peak of 538,100 in 2024, then eased to 438,600 after federal intake reductions. The Canada Border Services Agency currently manages tens of thousands of active files. At the same time, the Immigration Department estimates projected completion timelines of 64.8 months for permanent residence screenings and 30.3 months for temporary residence cases.

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