Up to 100,000 workers in Canada: how provinces will use the 2027 time-limited PR measure
Provinces are being offered extra nomination space to move up to 100,000 workers already in Canada, and their families, to permanent residence in 2027. Who it covers, the March 31, 2027 deadline, and what workers on expiring permits should do now.
On November 12, 2026, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab set out how the 2027 time-limited measure will work for workers. Provinces and territories are being offered extra Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) space to move up to a combined 100,000 workers already living in Canada, and their families, to permanent residence in 2027. The extra allocations are meant to be used by March 31, 2027.
This is not a new program and there is nothing to apply for. It gives provinces more nominations to hand out, on top of the 380,000 permanent residents in the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan. For workers in Canada, the route in is a provincial nomination, so what you do in the next few months matters.
What was announced on November 12
- Optional extra PNP allocations. Each province and territory decides whether to take the extra space and how much of it to use.
- For workers already established in their communities. The space is for people living and working in Canada now, not for new arrivals.
- A deadline. The allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027, so the people chosen become permanent residents in 2027.
- People already waiting on a decision. Provinces can also identify workers who have already applied for permanent residence and are waiting, including under the Atlantic Immigration Program and federal programs now closed to new applications: the Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs.
- Outside Quebec. IRCC describes the worker places as for workers in communities outside Quebec.
Who the 100,000 worker places are for
IRCC’s page on the measure describes two groups of workers, together with their families:
- Workers waiting for a decision on a permanent residence application under a program that is now closed to new applications.
- Workers who are eligible to apply for permanent residence through the Provincial Nominee Program. This is the group most of our clients fall into.
Being in Canada is not enough on its own. You still have to meet every rule of the provincial stream you are nominated under: the job, the language score, the education and, in most streams, valid status in Canada. The measure changes how many nominations a province can give, not who qualifies for them.
The other 2027 places: families and humanitarian pathways
Alongside the worker places, IRCC will use separate extra space in 2027 for applicants already in its processing queue. These figures are IRCC’s own:
| Group | Up to |
|---|---|
| Spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada | 45,000 |
| Applicants under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways (closed to new applications in August 2026) | 32,000 |
| Applicants under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway (closed October 2024) | 18,800 |
| People already found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds | 12,600 |
IRCC says these applicants do not need to do anything or contact IRCC for their applications to be processed under the extra space. If you have a spousal sponsorship or humanitarian and compassionate application in processing, keep your contact details and documents up to date and wait for IRCC.
What it means if you are working in Canada
Most people we advise came to Canada to study, finished a one- or two-year college diploma, and are now working on a post-graduation or other work permit that has expired or will soon. For you, this measure is good news only if a province can nominate you. These steps keep you in a position to be chosen:
- Keep your status valid. Apply to extend your work permit before it expires, so you stay on maintained status while IRCC decides. If it has already expired, you may have 90 days to restore your status. Ontario, for example, requires valid status (maintained status is accepted) when you apply for nomination.
- Be in the provincial pools you qualify for. Provinces can only pick people they can see. Check the streams in our Provincial Nominee Program guide, and if you are in Ontario, score yourself with the OINP points calculator.
- Keep your proof ready. Language test results must be recent (Ontario accepts tests taken within two years of applying), and you will need pay stubs, tax documents and a job letter that match your job offer.
- If you already applied for permanent residence under the Atlantic Immigration Program or a closed program, IRCC says you do not need to do anything. Answer any request from IRCC or the province quickly.
- Ignore anyone selling a place. There is no application form and no list to join. Anyone charging a fee to “register” you for this measure is misleading you.
What is still unknown
IRCC has not said how the 100,000 places will be split between provinces, and each province decides how much of its extra space to use and which workers to prioritise. Expect provincial announcements over the coming weeks; we follow every provincial draw on our PR draws page.
This measure is separate from the In-Canada Workers Initiative announced in Budget 2025, which we explain in Canada’s one-time PR initiatives.
Not sure whether a province could nominate you before March 31, 2027? Our Brampton and London offices can review your status, your job and your provincial options. Book a consultation.
Sources: IRCC, Minister Metlege Diab highlights how Canada is working with provinces and territories to support worker retention (November 12, 2026); IRCC, Managing a responsive and predictable immigration system: time-limited measure for 2027 (modified November 5, 2026); Ontario, Ontario Workforce Priority stream (updated October 20, 2026). General information only, not legal advice; provinces and IRCC make all final decisions.
Questions, answered
Do I need to apply for the 2027 time-limited measure?
No. IRCC says applicants do not need to apply separately or take any extra step. Workers are considered through a provincial nomination, or through a permanent residence application already in processing.
Who can be counted among the 100,000 workers?
Workers already living in communities outside Quebec, and their families, who are either waiting for a decision on a permanent residence application under a program now closed to new applications (such as the Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot or home care worker programs) or eligible to apply for permanent residence through the Provincial Nominee Program. Provinces can also identify Atlantic Immigration Program applicants who are waiting for a decision.
When will provinces use the extra nominations?
The extra Provincial Nominee Program allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027, so that the workers chosen become permanent residents in 2027. Each province decides whether to take the space and how much of it to use.
Does the measure help if my work permit has expired?
It does not restore status or create a new pathway. You still need to meet the rules of the provincial stream that nominates you, and many streams, including Ontario’s, require valid status in Canada when you apply. If your permit expired recently, you may be able to restore your status within 90 days.
Is this the same as the In-Canada Workers Initiative?
No. IRCC says the 2027 time-limited measure is separate from the In-Canada Workers Initiative announced in Budget 2025.
