Canada details PR route for existing workers
Washington, Nov 13
Canada has outlined how provinces and territories can use additional immigration nominations to help up to a combined 100,000 established workers and their family members obtain permanent residence in 2027, under a temporary measure announced earlier in the federal budget.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab on Thursday released the implementation details in Dieppe, New Brunswick, saying provincial and territorial governments would be offered optional additional allocations under the Provincial Nominee Program.
The announcement did not introduce a new immigration programme or reopen closed application pathways. The 100,000 figure covers workers and their families together, rather than 100,000 workers with family members counted separately.
Provinces and territories will be able to decide how much of the additional nomination space they use to retain workers already established in their communities and meeting local labour-market needs.
The allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027, to support transitions to permanent residence during 2027, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said.
That date concerns the intended use of the provincial and territorial allocations. The release did not announce a March 31 deadline for individuals to submit new applications.
The workers covered by the measure are already living in Canada and contributing to industries and economic development, the department said.
Provincial and territorial governments will also be able to identify workers in their jurisdictions who have already applied for permanent residence through federal programmes and are awaiting decisions.
These include applicants under the Atlantic Immigration Program and several programmes or pilots that are closed to new applications: the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and home-care worker programmes.
"Our government understands that by retaining high-value, established workers, we can support economic growth and help our businesses thrive," Metlege Diab said.
The department said retaining existing workers would help employers maintain access to skilled talent and assist communities facing labour shortages without adding significant new pressure on housing and community infrastructure.
The department said the measure is separate from the In-Canada Worker Initiative announced in Budget 2025. Thursday's release did not specify how the additional provincial allocations would be distributed or provide a nationality-wise breakdown of prospective beneficiaries.
— IANS
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