Mr. Chair, as of August 2016, the backlog of permanent resident applications is 12,188 cases, or 33,866 persons. While the backlog in cases has decreased since 2014, the backlog in persons has increased since July 2013, as applicants are including their dependants in their permanent resident applications. Previously they were tending to sponsor them after they had become permanent residents, so now we have the numbers increasing somewhat even though the number of cases is indeed coming down.
On October 4th, 2016. See this statement in context.