The Canadian government has announced a time-limited immigration measure aimed at granting permanent residency to up to 100,000 migrant workers already living in the country, alongside eligible family members and thousands of other applicants awaiting decisions.
The initiative, announced on Tuesday by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), forms part of the country’s broader 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, which seeks to address application backlogs and improve the sustainability of its immigration system.
Under the arrangement, up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada are also expected to benefit.
Another 12,600 applicants who have already been found eligible for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to receive consideration.
The government said additional admission spaces would be provided in 2027 to accelerate the processing of applications from people who have already established lives in Canada.
The workers’ category will cover applicants under selected immigration programmes, including the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programmes.
Provincial and territorial governments will also be involved in identifying workers whose skills are needed to address regional labour shortages. Additional Provincial Nominee Programme allocations will support the initiative.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the measure would help the government honour existing commitments while providing applicants with greater certainty.
She added that the initiative would also accelerate permanent residency decisions for people from Hong Kong and Ukraine who had been waiting under previously established immigration pathways.
According to IRCC, Canada plans to process all outstanding applications under its Hong Kong permanent residency pathways, which closed to new applicants on August 31, 2026. The applications could account for up to 32,000 admissions.
Similarly, the government intends to clear outstanding applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, which stopped accepting new applications on October 22, 2024. That category could account for another 18,800 admissions.
Together, the Hong Kong and Ukraine pathways represent up to 50,800 potential permanent resident admissions.
Canadian lawmakers and community representatives have welcomed the announcement, describing it as an important step towards supporting families, addressing labour shortages and providing certainty to migrants who have contributed to the country’s economy.
The National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Alexandra Chyczij, welcomed the government’s commitment to addressing the backlog of applications from Ukrainian families.
Meanwhile, Dr Henry Pang, a physician and Hong Kong community representative, said clearing the backlog would help Canada retain valuable healthcare professionals already working in the country.
IRCC clarified that the initiative would not establish new immigration programmes or reopen pathways that have closed to fresh applications.
Eligible applicants will not need to submit additional applications or contact the immigration department to benefit from the additional processing spaces.
The government said the people covered by the measure were already living and contributing to Canadian communities, meaning the initiative would not result in a significant increase in new arrivals.
