Work Permit Holders May Get an Accelerated Pathway to PR Says Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028

The One-Time Measure for Work Permit Holders 

According to Budget 2025, the government plans to roll out a one-time measure to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027. The idea is to help workers who have already built strong ties to their communities, they’re contributing to the economy, paying taxes, and, living as future Canadians. 

That’s not a huge amount of detail to go on, but it’s enough to suggest that something similar to a TR to PR pathway could be coming back in 2026. 

At first glance, that sounds encouraging. But when you stack it up against 2025’s in-Canada targets, which included more than 80,000 spots for those already in-Canada, it feels like a smaller step. 

There’s been plenty of debate over how effective those in-Canada transitions have been, but as of August 31, 2025, 139,700 temporary residents had successfully moved to permanent status, a sign that some in-Canada focus has happened.  

As part of the broader picture, it is also not clear how the proposed 239,800 spaces allocated for economic immigrants in the 2026 immigration levels will be dispensed against all the economic programs and whether there will be a similar in- Canada focus. And even if there is, what that could mean in practice is still anyone’s guess.  

So, while there may be a hint of progress, many in-Canada applicants will still be feeling stuck in limbo after this latest announcement. Hopeful, but without enough information to plan their next move. 

So why did we create a whole article based on 4 lines in a 493-page document?  

Because this will be a hot topic, and now every work permit holder will be frantically looking for information to get one step ahead in a future program we know little about. And when there is confusion, there is a need for clarity. 

So, here is what we know: 

• We know that 33,000 work permit holders may have the opportunity to apply for permanent residence at some point in 2026/ 2027.  

• We know that the Budget 2025 document uses the term work permit holders, suggesting that this program will only be available to current work permit holders. 

And, here is what we do not know: 

• We do not know whether certain occupations will be targeted. We don’t even know which TEER levels will be targeted, if there will be targeting at all.  
• We do not know whether the work permit holder must be in Canada. It would make sense that they are, but again, this is an assumption.  
• We do not know when the program will open. We do not know when the program will close. 
• We do not know what you need to qualify for this program, although documentation-wise, you can expect the usual suspects of language tests (don’t know the level, though), proof of work permit, and perhaps proof of employment, amongst others.
• We do not know if applicants must have a certain amount of Canadian experience- it makes sense that they would, but how much, we don’t know! 
• We do not know whether it will be a first-come, first-served process like the previous TR to PR pathway or an EOI-style application process.  

So yes, there are plenty of unknowns here. These uncertainties shouldn’t prevent you from being optimistic about the program, but they do mean you probably shouldn’t hit pause on your current immigration strategy just yet, no matter what you read on TikTok or Reddit.  

IRCC is set to hold a briefing on immigration levels tomorrow, November 5, at 11am EST. Hopefully, at this time, they will be able to shed some light on their plans for this program or at least offer in-Canada applicants more information about how their targets will be distributed. 

This is a developing story, and as soon as we have more information, we will let you know.