“These Are People, Not Numbers”: Immigration Minister Explains One-Time PR Initiative

The government’s new 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan sets an annual permanent residence target of 380,000. However, it also includes a one-time measure to grant permanent residence to up to 200,000 additional people, bringing potential admissions to 580,000 in 2027.

When other one-time initiatives carrying over from 2026 are included, the total could exceed 650,000.

The government is facing criticism from the opposition for allegedly hiding the true scale of immigration admissions. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the government of trying to “cook the books” by keeping these additional admissions separate from its headline immigration targets.

Diab pushed back, saying that the additional admissions largely involve people already living and working in Canada. “These are people, these are not numbers,” she said.

The minister provided more details about the initiative for 100,000 workers and their families, including how provinces and territories will help decide who receives permanent residence.

How Will the Time-Limited PR Initiative Work?

The initiative, first announced in Budget 2026, will provide up to 100,000 additional permanent residence spaces for workers already in Canada and their eligible family members.

The minister clarified the following details about the worker cohort under this time-limited PR initiative:

• It is a one-year measure, with additional permanent residence admissions planned for 2027.
• It is not a new immigration program. The government will use existing immigration pathways to facilitate permanent residence for these additional people.
• Participation is optional for provinces and territories. They can decide how much of the additional space to use based on their regional needs.
• It focuses on workers already in Canada, rather than bringing in new workers from abroad. Some of these workers have been living in Canada for years, contributing to local economies and filling important jobs.

The government has also allocated up to 100,000 additional spaces for a separate humanitarian cohort. This will include applicants from Hong Kong and Ukraine, spouses and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

These 200,000 additional admissions are separate from the regular 380,000 target.

Provinces Will Have More Say in Who Gets Permanent Residence

Provinces and territories will play an increased role in deciding which workers can transition to permanent residence under this time-limited initiative.

According to IRCC, participating provinces and territories will have two ways to use the additional spaces.

1. Additional Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Allocations

Provinces and territories will be offered additional PNP allocations to nominate workers who meet their regional labour market needs.

Participation is optional. Provinces and territories can decide how many of the additional spaces they want to use, subject to the allocations agreed upon with the federal government.

These allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027, to support permanent residence admissions later that year.

2. Identifying Workers with Existing PR Applications

Provinces and territories can also identify eligible workers who have already applied for permanent residence and are awaiting decisions.

This includes applicants under the Atlantic Immigration Program and several programs that are now closed to new applications, including:

• Start-up Visa Program
• Self-Employed Persons Program
• Agri-Food Pilot
• Home care worker programs

The government has confirmed that these pathways will not reopen and that applicants do not need to take additional action to be considered under the measure.

However, it has not yet announced how the 100,000 spaces will be distributed among provinces and territories.

Why Canada Is Giving Provinces More Control Over Immigration

The time-limited PR initiative is part of a broader shift toward giving provinces and territories greater control over economic immigration.

Diab argued that immigration cannot follow a one-size-fits-all approach because labour market needs differ across Canada. The federal government’s goal is to work more closely with provinces and territories to ensure immigration responds to these differences.

Diab pointed to the Provincial Nominee Program and Atlantic Immigration Program as successful examples of regional immigration initiatives.

She also highlighted the government’s recent announcement that the Rural Community Immigration Pilot will become a permanent program in 2027, with plans to expand beyond its existing 14 participating communities.

The minister also highlighted how provinces are helping the government meet its target for Francophone immigration. In 2026, the federal government offered provinces and territories up to 5,000 additional spaces to retain French-speaking workers, on top of their regular PNP allocations.

Immigration Admissions Are Not the Same as New Arrivals

The immigration minister repeatedly emphasized the difference between permanent residence admissions and new arrivals to Canada. She clarified that these one-time measures are intended to help temporary residents already in Canada transition to permanent status.

Diab argued that these transitions would not create the same additional pressure on housing, infrastructure, and public services as bringing in new residents.

She stated that the government has already taken steps to reduce temporary resident arrivals and stabilize immigration.

What This Means for You

If you’ve been living and working in Canada and hoping to become a permanent resident, this time-limited initiative could potentially benefit you.

However, the additional 100,000 spaces do not mean that 100,000 more people can apply for permanent residence.

If you’ve already applied through the Atlantic Immigration Program or one of the closed pilot programs, you could benefit from the additional spaces while your application is being processed.

If you haven’t applied for permanent residence yet, your main opportunity under this initiative will be through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

However, not every province or territory will necessarily offer additional PNP spaces. Each can decide whether to participate and how much of the additional allocation to use, based on its labour market needs.

For now, you’ll need to wait for provinces and territories to announce whether they are participating, how many additional spaces they will offer, and which workers will be eligible.

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