Canada will fast-track permanent residence (PR) applications for certain temporary residents already in the system under a one-time measure, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), as cited by CIC News. The move targets workers who have applied through existing programmes and are living in smaller communities, with no fresh applications required.
The department said eligible applicants will be selected from current inventories and processed on priority. The initiative, referred to as the In-Canada Workers Initiative, aims to transition up to 33,000 temporary workers to PR across 2026 and 2027.
Focus on existing applicants in smaller communities
According to CIC News report, IRCC said the measure will initially cover workers who have already applied for PR through programmes such as the Provincial Nominee Program and have lived in smaller communities in Canada for at least two years.
The accelerated processing will apply to applicants under the Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic Immigration Program, Rural Community Immigration Pilot, Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, caregiver pilots and the Agri-Food Pilot. The government said the pathway is being used to grant PR to applicants “across a range of in-demand sectors in rural areas and communities with labour gaps.”
Applicants do not need to take any action, as IRCC will identify and process eligible cases.
The department said 3,600 workers were granted PR under the initiative between January 1 and February 28, 2026, accounting for 18% of its annual target. It added that it remains on track to approve at least 20,000 cases in 2026, with the remaining transitions expected next year.
The initiative was first announced in the federal budget and later included in Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan. It forms part of a broader effort to reduce the temporary resident population to below 5% of the total population by 2027.
The government has in recent years increased focus on rural immigration. It introduced pilot programmes and temporary measures to help employers in smaller communities hire and retain workers, including easing limits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
