Canada to Give 100,000 Foreign Workers Chance to Become Permanent Residents

(Canada Logo. Photo Credit: The SUn Nigeria)

Canada is giving permanent residency to up to 100,000 foreign workers who are already living and working inside canada, plus some of their family members.

The measure was announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Tuesday and is time limited.

It is part of a wider plan to clear thousands of pending applications.

The plan also allows up to 45,000 spouses, common law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents already in Canada to become permanent residents.

In addition, 12,600 people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.

The worker category covers people who have already applied under federal programmes such as the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Start up Visa Programme and the Self Employed Persons Programme.

Provinces and territories can also nominate workers through larger Provincial Nominee Programme allocations to fill local labour gaps.

The government also plans to process all remaining applications from Hong Kong residents and Ukrainians under earlier pathways.

The Hong Kong route closed to new applicants on 31 August 2026 and could result in up to 32,000 admissions.

The Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway closed on 22 October 2024 and could result in up to 18,800 admissions.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the measure would help Canada honour its commitments while bringing the system back to sustainable levels.

The government says the measure creates no new programmes and reopens no closed pathways, and that applicants do not need to take extra steps.

It also says the people covered are already living and working in Canada, so they will not be new arrivals.