Canada fast-tracks PR applications for 33,000 temporary residents
Canada has revealed the details of a measure that is fast-tracking tens of thousands of temporary residents’ (TR) statuses to permanent residence (PR).
On Monday, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab announced progress on the one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative, which was proposed in the federal government’s 2025 budget.
The Initiative accelerates the TR to PR transition of up to 33,000 workers in Canada in 2026 and 2027. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says these individuals have already established “strong roots” where they live, effectively contributing to the Canadian economy.
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“This initiative is designed to promote economic growth and address labour shortages in key sectors where they are most needed — in smaller Canadian communities,” reads a statement from Diab.
“By transitioning temporary residents who are already living and contributing to their communities to permanent residence, we’re providing the certainty and the stability needed to maintain and grow vibrant local economies.”
As part of the measure, the IRCC says it is initially fast-tracking eligible applications from existing inventories of work permit holders who have applied for permanent residence.
Workers who are eligible for the permanent residence offer need to have done the following:
- Applied through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, the community immigration pilots, the caregiver pilots, or the AgriÂFood Pilot
- Been living in smaller communities in Canada for two years or more
“Through these criteria, IRCC will grant permanent residence to applicants across a range of in-demand sectors in rural areas and communities with labour gaps,” reads a statement from the agency.
Ottawa plans to admit at least 20,000 workers as permanent residents through the one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative this year. The rest will be admitted in 2027.
Minister Diab revealed the soft launch of this measure in March.
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According to government data, as of Feb. 28, 2026, there are over 1.4 million people who hold work permits in Canada. From January to February 2026, 31,860 temporary residents became permanent residents.
The Liberal government’s 2025 budget emphasized bringing immigration back to sustainable levels and shrinking the non-permanent resident population. The 2026 to 2028 immigration plan targets keep permanent resident arrivals at less than one per cent of the population beyond 2027 and aims to reduce the temporary population to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.
In 2026, the federal government aims to offer permanent residence to 109,000 high-skilled foreign workers. Those numbers increase slightly in 2027 and 2028 to 111,000.