Canada’s TR to PR pathway immigration programs for essential workers and graduates

The TR to PR pathway applicant portal can be accessed here.

Update — July 26, 2021 — Canada has introduced a new open work permit program for individuals who have applied through the recently opened TR to PR pathway to permanent residence for essential workers and international graduates. Similar to the Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), this new open work permit program enables applicants whose work permits are expiring within four months to apply for a new open work permit. This will allow TR to PR pathway applicants to continue working while their permanent residence is being processed.

The new open work permit program is accepting applications as of July 26, 2021. In order to qualify for this one-time open work permit, applicants must show that they:

• have successfully submitted an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams
• held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit, at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
• hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months
• have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore their status at the time their open work permit application is submitted
• are in Canada at the time their open work permit application is submitted
• were employed in any occupation at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
• meet the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the time their permanent residence application was submitted

Full details on the new open work permit program, including details on how to apply, can be found on the IRCC website here.

Overview of the TR to PR pathway

Canada’s new permanent residence pathways for essential workers and graduates, known as the TR to PR pathway, is a response to Canada’s need for immigration as a means to help grow the economy and add much-needed talent and labour to the workforce.

For eligible workers, the TR to PR pathway is an exciting, and perhaps unexpected, way to transition to permanent residence in Canada from their current temporary status (hence “TR to PR”).

More than 90,000 temporary residents in Canada have the opportunity to become permanent residents this year through six new TR to PR pathway immigration pathways that officially launched on May 6. These new Canadian immigration pathways target essential workers, international students, and French speakers. These new TR to PR pathway immigration programs further Canada’s initiative to help more temporary residents in Canada to remain in the country permanently.

Check your eligibility for Canada’s TR to PR pathway programs by completing the assessment form on this page! This form was designed by Deanne Acres-Lans, one of our recommended Canadian immigration consultants and founder of Canada Abroad.

The TR to PR pathway programs were announced on April 14 by Marco Mendicino, Canada’s immigration minister. The programs will accept applications until November 5, 2021, or until the program quota is reached. You can view the spaces remaining in each stream here.

Notably, French-speaking candidates are exempt from the quotas. The new pathways are deemed “temporary public policies,” which suggests that they may not be permanent fixtures in the landscape of immigration — although an extension is always possible.

TR to PR pathway applicants are eligible to apply with their spouse or partner and dependent children, giving families the opportunity to obtain Canadian permanent residence together.

Skip ahead to view the eligibility criteria and application process you’re most interested in.

Eligibility for Canada’s TR to PR immigration streams for essential workers

Essential workers, who have been critical to Canada’s ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be eligible to apply through two different streams: one for temporary workers in 40 health care occupations — which has a quota of 20,000, and one for temporary workers in 95 other essential services occupations — which has a quota of 30,000. You can view the spaces remaining in each stream here.

French-speakers have their own additional streams — the criteria are identical, except for the French-language requirement, and French-speakers are exempt from the quotas.

Canadian work experience

To apply through the essential workers immigration streams, candidates must have at least one year of full-time work experience, or an equivalent amount in part-time experience (1,560 hours), gained within Canada in the three years prior to submitting an application.

For the healthcare workers stream, the Canadian work experience must be in one or more of the eligible healthcare occupations. For the non-healthcare workers streams, the Canadian work experience must be in one or more of the eligible non-healthcare occupations (experience in the healthcare occupations can also be combined to apply through this stream).

For TR to PR pathway eligible occupations, please refer to the lists at the bottom of this page.

Current employment in Canada

Candidates must be currently employed in Canada at the time they apply. Notably, this current employment can be in any occupation — it does not have to be in an occupation on one of the eligible occupation lists. As well, the government guidelines do not specify that the current employment needs to be full-time, suggesting that part-time employment will be sufficient.

Language Proficiency

Candidates must submit results from an approved language test in either English or French showing results consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 4 (CLB 4). Remember, French-speakers are exempt from the program quotas.

Other criteria

In addition to the eligibility criteria listed above, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• be in Canada on valid status (or eligible to restore status),
• be physically present in Canada at the time the application is submitted and at the time the application is approved,
• have the intention to reside outside the province of Quebec, and
• be criminally and medically admissible to Canada.

Eligibility for Canada’s TR to PR pathway immigration streams for international graduates

These TR to PR pathway streams are for international graduates from Canadian post-secondary schools. The stream for English-speakers reached its quota of 40,000 applications and is now closed. French-speakers are exempt from the quota and can apply at any time while the applications are open between May 6 and November 5, 2021.

Qualifying Canadian educational credential

To apply through the international graduates stream, candidates must have completed a program of study at an eligible institution in Canada no earlier than January 2017. Only the following types of educational credentials are eligible:

• a degree issued upon completion of a program at least 8 months in duration
• a degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation issued upon completion of a program of any duration, so long as it has lead to an occupation in a skilled trade (refer to the list of eligible trades occupations at the bottom of this page)
• one more diplomas/certificates/attestations where the following conditions are met:
  • For diplomas/certificates/attestations, each program of study must be at least 8 months in duration and the combined length of the credential(s) must be equivalent to a two-year credential (at least 16 months in duration).
  • For the DVS and AVS, each program of study must be at least 900 hours in duration and the combined program of study must be at least 1,800 hours in duration.

Current employment in Canada

Candidates must be currently employed in Canada at the time they apply with a valid permit or authorization to work. Notably, this current employment can be in any occupation. As well, the government guidelines do not specify that the current employment needs to be full-time, suggesting that part-time employment will be sufficient.

Language Proficiency

Candidates must submit results from an approved language test in either English or French showing results consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 5 (CLB 5). Remember, French-speakers are exempt from the program quotas. All applicants need to submit language test results, even if their qualifying educational credential is for an english program.

Other criteria

In addition to the eligibility criteria listed above, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• be in Canada on valid status (or eligible to restore status),
• be physically present in Canada at the time the application is submitted and at the time the application is approved,
• have the intention to reside outside the province of Quebec, and
• be criminally and medically admissible to Canada.

Application procedure and required documents for the essential workers and graduates programs

Eligible candidates can submit applications online using IRCC’s new online application portal — accessible here. The programs will accept applications between May 6 and November 5, 2021, or until program quotas are filled. You can view the spaces remaining in each stream here. The English-speaking stream for international graduates has reached its quota of 40,000 and is now closed. All other streams remain open.

The application guide for Canada’s TR PR pathway is now available here on the Government of Canada website. This guide includes detailed instructions regarding required documentation and application procedure.

The application process will be broken down into four steps:

Step 1 — Gather supporting documents

When applicants sign up for IRCC’s online application portal, a document checklist will be generated based on the applicant’s profile. All TR to PR pathway applicants will require the following documents:

• Proof of entry and status in Canada
• Proof of current employment in Canada (work permit — if applicable, employer reference letter, pay stubs)
• Proof of language proficiency (approved language test results less than two years old)
• Passports (biodata page)
• Immigration Medical Exams (IME)
  • If applicants are having difficulty getting an IME prior to applying, they may provide proof that a medical exam is scheduled (including the name of the panel physician and date/time of the appointment), or a letter of explanation of best efforts. Please note that substitute documents will be accepted at the discretion of the officer assessing the file.
• Police clearance certificates
  • Please refer to our guide on police certificates for Express Entry, as the requirements are the same.
  • If applicants are having difficulty getting police certificates prior to applying, they may accept proof of having requested a police certificate and an explanation of best efforts (not a guarantee of acceptance). Please note that substitute documents will be accepted at the discretion of the officer assessing the file.
• Photos

For the essential workers stream, all applicants must submit proof of qualifying Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation:

• A copy of the work permit (if applicable)
• Employer reference letters for the periods of qualifying work, including:
  • location of work
  • period of employment (to/from dates)
  • description of main duties and responsibilities (matching an eligible National Occupational Classification code)
  • salary and benefits
  • hours worked per week
  • employer’s name, signature, address, telephone number, and email
• Applicants must also include:
  • copies of T4 tax slips and Notice of Assessment (if applicable); or
  • work contracts; or
  • pay stubs

For the international graduates stream, all applicants must submit proof of their qualifying Canadian educational credential:

• Applicants must provide:
  • A final transcript, and
  • A letter from the institution and/or the formal notice of graduation
• Applicants must provide proof that shows:
  • The type of credential granted (degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation)
  • The length (in weeks, months, or years) of the program of study,
  • That you were authorized to study for the duration of studies,
  • the date of completion;
  • the name of the school that granted the degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation.

Additional documents may be required depending on the profile of the applicant. These may include identity and civil status documents, documents relating to family members and familial relationships, etc.

Any documents submitted in a language other than English or French much be accompanies by a certified translation.

Step 2 — Complete the application

Once candidates have registered for the TR to PR pathway application portal, they will be required to submit personal information, upload supporting documents, and complete and upload a variety of required forms. Forms can be completed by downloading them onto a computer and completing the required fields.

All applicants will be required to submit the following immigration forms:

• Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] (PDF, 0.6 MB)
• Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669] (PDF, 1.5 MB)
• Additional Family Information [IMM 5406] (PDF, 2.3 MB)
• Schedule 3 – Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway: Streams A & B and International Graduates [IMM 0130] (PDF, 1.20 MB)
• Supplementary Information – Your travels [IMM 5562] (PDF, 1.5 MB)

If applicable, applicants will be required to submit the following immigration forms:

• Additional Dependants/Declaration [IMM 0008 DEP] (PDF, 0.4 MB), if applicable
• Separation Declaration for Minors Travelling to Canada [IMM 5604] (PDF, 1.6 MB), if applicable
• Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 0.8 MB), if applicable
• Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 1.5 MB), if applicable

Step 3 — Pay the fees

Once a TR to PR pathway application is complete (and you’ve double- and triple-checked everything!), you must pay the required fees.

• Your permanent residence fees (principal applicant): CAD$1,050 (includes a $550 processing fee and a $500 right of permanent residence fee)
• Spouse or partner’s permanent residence fees (if applicable): CAD$1,050 (includes a $550 processing fee and a $500 right of permanent residence fee)
• Dependent children’s fees, per child (if applicable): CAD$150
• Biometrics fees: CAD$85 for a single applicant, or CAD$170 for a family

All fees must be paid at the time of submission — if your application is refused you will received a refund, but only of the $500 right of permanent residence fees paid by adult applicants.

You must pay your fees online and keep a copy of your receipt. You must upload a copy of this receipt to your application when asked.

Step 4 — Submit the application

When ready, applicants can submit the application. Currently, it is not known how long application processing will take for these programs.

Why are Canada’s TR to pathway immigration programs important?

Minister Mendicino spoke about the importance of recognizing the incredible contribution of temporary residents in Canada, especially through the challenges of the past year: “The pandemic has shone a bright light on the incredible contributions of newcomers. These new policies will help those with a temporary status to plan their future in Canada, play a key role in our economic recovery and help us build back better.”

Canada doubles-down on commitment to in-Canada immigration applicants

In November of last year, Canada announced the most ambitious immigration targets in Canadian history, with a goal to welcome more than 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021, with even higher targets for 2022 and 2023. At that time, Minister Mendicino made it clear that in order to achieve those targets during a pandemic, with international travel restrictions in full effect, Canada would introduce innovative ways to prioritize permanent residence applications from temporary residents who are already in Canada.

In the first four months of 2021, Minister Mendicino has led Canada’s immigration department to do exactly that.

In January, Canada created a new open work permit program for international graduates to remain in Canada and work. In February, Canada invited every single candidate in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) of Express Entry — more than 27,000 candidates. Then, Canada launched six new streams that are expected to admit more than 90,000 new permanent residents: the TR to PR pathway.

Canada’s remains committed to high-levels of immigration, even during a year in which the economy has been shaken by a pandemic. This is because immigration is essential to Canada’s long-term economic growth — as the rate of natural population increase (population increase based on birth rate alone) continues to fall. Minister Mendicino made it clear that immigration is also essential to Canada’s short-term economic recovery from COVID, “We need workers who possess a range of skills in a range of sectors within our economy to keep it going forward and accelerate our economic recovery.”

In a year like no other in Canadian history, the immigration sector continues to innovate and adapt in ways that recognize the contributions of newcomers to Canadian society. While we cannot say what’s in store for the next few months, it’s clear that the next few years will be enriched by the contributions of these many newcomers who are being given the chance to make Canada their home.

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Eligible Health occupations

Other non-health essential occupations

Eligible trades occupations (for the graduates stream only)