On May 4, 2026, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced progress on the department’s one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative, as announced in Budget 2025, which aims to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027.
As part of this initiative, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is initially accelerating eligible applications from existing inventories of work permit holders who have applied for permanent residence. These eligible workers are already supporting their smaller and rural communities’ labor and economic needs, and they:
- have applied through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, the community immigration pilots, the caregiver pilots, or the Agri-Food Pilot; and
- have been living in smaller communities in Canada for two years or more.
Through these criteria, IRCC will grant permanent residence to applicants across a range of in-demand sectors in rural areas and communities with labor gaps. Applicants do not need to take any action.
IRCC is aiming to transition at least 20,000 workers to permanent residence in 2026 and the remainder in 2027. Between January 1 and February 28, 2026, 3,600 workers were granted permanent residence under this initiative.
This initiative supports the government’s ongoing efforts to reduce the share of temporary residents to less than 5% of the population by the end of 2027.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.