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OTTAWA — Applications for temporary resident visas issued to visitors, students and temporary workers in Canada have more than quadrupled since 2015, stretching the Immigration Department’s ability to process them, according to a federal report.

The Immigration Department’s annual plan shows that in the fiscal year that ended March 2018, officials issued more than 5.7 million temporary visas and electronic travel authorizations, an increase from the 1.3 million issued two years earlier.

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Federal officials say the surge is due in part to an increase in international tourism in Canada — something the federal government has been trying hard to achieve.

“The promotion of tourism to Canada and strengthening people-to-people ties has been a part of Minister (Ahmed) Hussen’s message when travelling abroad,” said Hursh Jaswal, a spokesman for the immigration minister.

“As a government we have promoted tourism across the globe through various ministries … At IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) we have also focused on tourism through our ‘apply early’ campaign and promoting how to apply as a visitor through our social media channels.”