KEY POINTS
- Canada plans to transition up to 100,000 eligible workers and family members already in the country to permanent residency.
- Up to 45,000 spouses and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents may also benefit.
- The measure forms part of Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
Canada is introducing a temporary immigration measure to grant permanent residency to up to 100,000 eligible workers and their family members already living in the country as part of efforts to address application backlogs and support regional labour needs.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the measure on Tuesday, Nov. 10, explaining that the initiative would provide additional admission spaces in 2027.
According to Punch Newspapers, the programme will prioritise people who have already established themselves in Canadian communities but are still waiting for decisions on their permanent residency applications.
The government said the initiative would be implemented in collaboration with provincial and territorial administrations to address labour shortages and support existing economic commitments.
It is part of Canada’s broader 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to make immigration more sustainable while improving application processing times.
Additional spaces for families and humanitarian applicants
Beyond the workers’ category, the government has outlined additional provisions for families and people with humanitarian and compassionate applications.
Up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada are expected to benefit. Another 12,600 people who have already been found eligible for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are also included.
Meanwhile, the government intends to clear outstanding applications under existing immigration pathways for people from Hong Kong and Ukraine. The remaining applications under the Hong Kong pathways could result in up to 32,000 admissions, while those under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway could account for another 18,800. Together, the two categories represent a potential 50,800 permanent resident admissions.
Who qualifies under the workers’ measure?
The workers’ category covers applicants under selected federal immigration programmes. These include the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programmes.
In addition, provincial and territorial governments will be able to nominate workers who meet their regional labour requirements through increased Provincial Nominee Programme allocations.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the initiative would help the government honour existing commitments while providing greater certainty to people already contributing to Canadian communities. Importantly, the announcement does not establish a new immigration programme or reopen pathways that have already closed to new applicants.
The government also said eligible applicants would not need to take additional steps or contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to be considered under the additional admission spaces. The measure is intended to help people already living and working in Canada obtain greater certainty about their long-term status without increasing the number of new arrivals.
