As part of a broader initiative to accelerate processing for thousands of migrants and families awaiting immigration decisions, Canada is introducing a temporary pathway to grant permanent residency to up to 100,000 workers and their eligible dependents already living in the country.
Announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Tuesday, the measure will also extend permanent resident status to as many as 45,000 spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents currently residing within Canada.
Furthermore, an estimated 12,600 additional applicants who have already been approved for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit from the policy.
The Canadian government stated that the initiative will accelerate application processing for individuals already living in the country by expanding admission spaces in 2027.
According to officials, the humanitarian stream is designed to honor existing obligations, promote family reunification, and clear application backlogs, whereas the workers’ stream will be executed in partnership with provincial and territorial governments to address regional labor market needs.
A backgrounder issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada specifies that the workers’ category encompasses applicants already in the queue under select federal pathways, including the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot, and home care worker programs.
Backstory…
Canada has issued permanent residency invitations to 1,000 candidates through its Express Entry system under the Canadian Experience Class category.
According to updated ministerial directives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the selection draw was conducted on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
To qualify for an invitation during this round, applicants were required to meet a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) threshold of 523 points.
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