Canada Plans One-Time Permanent Residence Pathway in Budget 2026

Canada plans a one-time measure to move up to 200,000 temporary residents to permanent residence by the end of 2027. The announcement came on November 5, 2026, alongside Budget 2026 and the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.

The plan targets selected workers and people with humanitarian or family applications already in the country. It is not an open application stream. No start date has been set.

The government describes the measure as additional room to process cases through selected pathways in 2027, rather than a recurring program. Its published materials do not set a number of applications it will accept.

The worker group draws on existing federal and provincial routes

The worker cohort could cover up to 100,000 workers and their family members. Provincial and territorial governments would receive extra Provincial Nominee Program allocations to put forward workers whose skills fit local labour needs. Their participation is part of the plan.

The federal government also expects provinces to identify some workers already in selected program inventories. Those include the Atlantic Immigration Program and applications under the closed Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs.

IRCC lists workers waiting for a decision under those closed programs, and workers eligible to apply through the Provincial Nominee Program. IRCC describes provincial nominations as one way to select workers, with the number of nominations depending on provinces choosing to participate.

The agency calls the figures maximums, not guaranteed admissions. Being in one of the named groups alone does not establish that a person will receive permanent status. IRCC has not published the detailed criteria for the worker cohort.

Pending humanitarian and family cases make up the other group

A second cohort, also planned for up to 100,000 people, focuses on existing cases. It includes remaining applications through the Hong Kong pathways, which closed August 31, 2026, and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, closed October 22, 2024.

The group also includes people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. IRCC says the measure will allow it to process pending applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of citizens and permanent residents who are already in the country.

The department hopes faster processing will bring wait times for spouses and common-law partners headed outside Quebec closer to 12 months. That is a goal, not a promised processing time. The plan does not set out how long an individual case will take.

IRCC has not set out the criteria or opening date

The agency has not published the detailed eligibility rules, language requirements, occupation lists or application instructions. It has also not said when the measure will begin. The end-of-2027 target describes the planned transition period, not an application opening date or a deadline for an individual decision.

IRCC's measures page says applicants do not need to take separate steps to be considered:

“Applicants do not need to apply separately or take any additional steps to be considered under these measures.”

That instruction does not answer every question about how existing files will be assessed. The materials do not yet explain what criteria will govern selection within each group or how people will learn whether their case is included. IRCC has not published a new form or intake process.

Budget 2026 sets aside $302.3 million over four years beginning in 2027–28 to implement the measure, followed by $90.6 million in future years. The funding supports delivery; it does not establish a start date or guarantee a place for an applicant.

People with current applications and temporary status should keep their documents and files in order while details are pending. IRCC announcements and provincial nominee program updates are the places to watch for instructions.

The earlier worker initiative is a separate measure

This plan is distinct from the In-Canada Workers Initiative, which is set to transition 33,000 workers during 2026 and 2027. That earlier initiative was announced in May 2026. Its target and timeline do not establish eligibility for the newly announced measure.

IRCC has also identified a separate initiative for protected persons, with a target of up to 115,000 people from Budget 2025. The new plan remains tied to the selected worker, humanitarian and family-case groups described by the department.