Canada has introduced a new pathway for transitioning temporary resident workers to permanent residents, known as the ‘In-Canada Workers Initiative.’ This initiative aims to fast-track up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence status over 2026-2027. The program accelerates eligible applications from existing inventories of work permit holders who have applied for permanent residence through various programs such as the Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic Immigration Program, community immigration pilots, caregiver pilots, or the AgriFood pilot.

To qualify for accelerated processing, applicants must have resided in a smaller Canadian community for at least two years. While the initiative has disappointed some temporary foreign workers who were expecting a new temporary permanent residence program, progress is being monitored on the government’s temporary resident page. As of now, 3,600 workers have been granted permanent residence out of the 20,000 target for 2026.

Initiative Overview

The ‘In-Canada Workers Initiative’ was first mentioned in Budget 2025 as a one-time measure to transition work permit holders to permanent residency. Details were scarce until Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the launch of the pathway in early March 2026. However, specific eligibility criteria and selection processes remain undisclosed. Diab later clarified that the initiative would exclude workers from urban areas.