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Canada lets provinces move up to 100,000 workers to permanent residence in 2027
In short
- Provinces get optional extra nominee room for workers already living in Canada.
- Time-limited: the extra allocations are meant to be used by 31 March 2027.
- No new application needed; watch your province's nominee program updates.
On 12 November 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said provinces and territories can take optional extra Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocations to move up to 100,000 workers and their families who are already in Canada to permanent residence in 2027. It is a time-limited measure from Budget 2026, and the extra allocations are meant to be used by 31 March 2027. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said that "by retaining high-value, established workers, we can support economic growth".
Why it matters for job seekers: If you already work in Canada on a temporary permit, next year's provincial route to permanent residence gets more room. That can make it easier to stay with your employer and plan a longer career in Canada.
Who is affected: Workers in Canada who have already applied for permanent residence, including through the Atlantic Immigration Program and closed programs such as the Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Persons, the Agri-Food Pilot and the home care worker programs. IRCC also listed other groups provinces can pick from, each "up to": 32,000 Hong Kong pathway applicants, 18,800 Ukraine family reunification applicants, 12,600 people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and 45,000 spouses, partners and children of citizens or permanent residents living in Canada.
What to do now:
- If your permanent residence application is already in, IRCC says you do not need to do anything or contact them.
- Follow your own province's nominee program news: each province decides whether and how to use the extra room.
- Keep your work permit valid and your employment records (pay slips, reference letters) current.
- Note what this is not: it creates no new program and does not reopen closed ones.