IRCC offers provinces extra PNP space to transition up to 100,000 workers to PR in 2027

What changed

On November 12, 2026, in Dieppe, New Brunswick, IRCC published a news release in which the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab, gave more details on a time-limited measure for workers announced in Budget 2026. The Government of Canada is offering provinces and territories optional, additional space to transition up to a combined total of 100,000 workers and their families, already living in Canada, to permanent residence in 2027.

Provinces and territories will be offered additional Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocations and can choose how much of this space they use. The allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027.

Who it affects

According to IRCC, provinces and territories will also be able to identify workers in their jurisdictions who have already applied for permanent residence and are awaiting a decision, including through:

• the Atlantic Immigration Program
• federal programs and pilots closed to applications, including the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs

Under the same measure, IRCC will also help transition to permanent residence up to 32,000 Hong Kong pathway applicants (closed to new applications in August 2026), up to 18,800 Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applicants (closed in October 2024), up to 12,600 people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada.

IRCC states that these measures do not create new programs or re-open closed pathways, and that applicants do not need to do anything or contact IRCC for their applications to be processed under these additional spaces. The measure is separate from the In-Canada Worker Initiative announced in Budget 2025.

Official text

Read the IRCC news release of November 12, 2026.