Ottawa’s one-time immigration initiative will offer 200,000 permanent residency places to existing temporary residents, including skilled workers and applicants under humanitarian programmes
Canada has announced a special immigration initiative to grant permanent residency (PR) to up to 200,000 temporary residents already living in the country by the end of 2027, offering a potential opportunity for thousands of Indian workers and their families.
The one-time measure, announced under Budget 2026 and the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, will provide additional permanent residency places beyond Canada’s regular immigration targets.
The initiative will be divided into two categories, with 100,000 places allocated to workers and their families and another 100,000 reserved for humanitarian cases and other eligible applicants.
The workers’ category will primarily cover temporary residents eligible under Canada’s Express Entry system or Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP). Provincial and territorial governments will play an important role in identifying candidates based on regional labour market requirements.
The government will also consider certain existing applications under federal immigration programmes, including the Atlantic Immigration Programme and selected business, agricultural and home care worker pathways.
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The humanitarian category will focus on fulfilling existing commitments, including applications under the Hong Kong permanent residency pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway
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It will also cover eligible humanitarian and compassionate cases, as well as applications from spouses, partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents
The initiative is expected to benefit Indian nationals who have established themselves in Canada through employment or study-linked work authorisations. Skilled workers already in the Express Entry pool or those positioned to secure provincial nominations could be among the principal beneficiaries.
However, the government has yet to release detailed eligibility criteria, language requirements, occupation-specific conditions and application procedures.
The initiative comes as Canada seeks to stabilise immigration levels while addressing labour shortages and reducing pressure on housing and public services.
Under the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will maintain annual permanent resident admissions at 380,000 and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000.
The special pathway is intended to provide greater certainty to long-term temporary residents already contributing to Canadian communities and the economy.
