Canada unveils time-limited measure to move up to 100,000 in-Canada workers and families to permanent residence

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced details on November 10 of a time-limited measure that will use additional permanent residence spaces in 2027 to transition up to 100,000 workers already in Canada, and their eligible family members, to permanent residence. It is the workers half of a 200,000-person time-limited transition measure announced by the federal government on November 5; details of the other half, the humanitarian cohort of 100,000 — including faster processing for the Hong Kong pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway — were reported separately by this site on November 11.

How the workers cohort will work

IRCC said it will work with provinces and territories to move workers already living and working in Canadian communities, and with permanent residence applications already in the system, to permanent residence through increased Provincial Nominee Program allocations and Express Entry-eligible workers. The department stressed that the measure does not create a new immigration program or reopen pathways that have already closed. No eligibility criteria, no new application form and no opening date have been published, and the measure applies only to people already in Canada who have submitted applications.

Where the 200,000-person measure comes from

The time-limited transition measure is part of the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan and was announced with Budget 2026 on November 5: the federal government plans to transition up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residence by the end of 2027, split between a workers cohort and a humanitarian cohort of 100,000 each, backed by $302.3 million over four years. The humanitarian cohort's allocation was published on November 10: an expected 32,000 admissions under the Hong Kong pathways, 18,800 under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, 45,000 for spouses, partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and the remainder for approved-in-principle humanitarian and compassionate cases. The annual permanent residence target stays at 380,000 a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029.

What the minister said

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the measures would help Canada fulfil existing commitments to applicants already in Canada while making the immigration system more sustainable and responsive to the country's economic needs.

Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Immigration.ca; Y-Axis.