Canada Announces Permanent Residency Pathway for Up to 100,000 Workers and Families

The Canadian government has announced a time-limited measure to grant permanent residence to up to 100,000 workers and their eligible family members already living in the country, as part of efforts to clear immigration application backlogs and fulfil existing commitments.

The measure, announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Tuesday, also provides for up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada to obtain permanent residence.

Another 12,600 people who have already been found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.

According to the government, additional admission spaces will be provided in 2027 to accelerate the processing of applications from people already living in Canada. The workers’ category will be implemented in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments to address regional labour needs, while the humanitarian category is intended to honour existing commitments and help keep families together.

The workers’ cohort includes applicants under selected federal immigration programmes, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programmes. Provinces and territories will also receive increased Provincial Nominee Programme allocations to nominate workers who meet their labour requirements.

Canadian Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to make the immigration system more sustainable while honouring commitments to people who had already established lives in the country.

She said the measure would also provide greater certainty for people from Hong Kong and Ukraine who had been waiting for decisions under existing permanent residence pathways.

The government plans to process all outstanding applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways, which closed to new applicants on August 31, 2026. The applications are expected to result in up to 32,000 permanent resident admissions.

It also intends to complete the processing of outstanding applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, which stopped accepting new applications on October 22, 2024. The applications are expected to account for up to 18,800 admissions.

Together, the Hong Kong and Ukraine pathways could result in up to 50,800 permanent resident admissions.

Several Canadian lawmakers and community representatives welcomed the announcement, describing it as a source of relief for applicants who had faced lengthy waiting periods.

Jean Yip, Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Agincourt, said the decision followed years of advocacy alongside the Hong Kong community and would provide a path forward for individuals and families seeking to settle permanently in Canada.

Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham—Unionville, also welcomed the plan, saying the government intended to finalise the remaining Hong Kong pathway applications by the end of 2027.

Yvan Baker, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre, said resolving outstanding applications could benefit Canadian businesses by providing greater workforce certainty and allowing workers to pursue professional training and qualifications.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress also welcomed the planned completion of applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway. Its national president, Alexandra Chyczij, said the community appreciated the government’s decision to address the backlog and looked forward to continued engagement on permanent residence options for Ukrainians living in Canada.

The government clarified that the measure would not establish new immigration programmes or reopen pathways that had already closed to new applicants. Eligible applicants would not need to submit additional applications or contact IRCC to be considered under the additional admission spaces.

It added that the beneficiaries were already living and contributing to Canadian communities, meaning the measure would not represent an increase in new arrivals from abroad.

The initiative forms part of Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, which the government says is aimed at restoring sustainability to the immigration system, improving processing times and providing greater certainty for applicants.