Maple News reports that Canada’s Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) immigration pathway is officially set to close on November 5, as confirmed by the Government of Canada. No extensions will be granted, and new applications will not be accepted after the deadline. Those who have already submitted applications can still access their profiles through the official online portal.
Launched on May 6, 2021, the TR to PR pathway was a special one-time initiative designed to open permanent residency doors to essential workers, international student graduates, and French-speaking temporary residents already in Canada. The program was part of an ambitious strategy by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to meet the country’s target of welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, while international travel restrictions were still in effect due to COVID-19.
The English-speaking streams were capped and saw overwhelming demand. For example, the international student graduate stream reached its limit in just 25 hours, while the non-healthcare essential worker stream closed in July. However, as of now, more than 13,000 spots remain open for healthcare workers under the English-speaking essential worker stream.
IRCC originally aimed to accept 90,000 new immigrants through these English-language streams. However, despite strong interest, final totals may fall slightly short, even when including applications from the uncapped French-speaking streams. As of the most recent update, approximately 89,500 applications have been received in total.
The French-speaking streams, which did not have intake caps, attracted close to 6,000 applicants across all categories. However, it’s believed that some of those submissions may have been from candidates who inadvertently applied through the French streams.
A technical glitch also led to IRCC accepting an estimated 7,300 additional applications in the international graduate stream, temporarily exceeding its original quota.
This innovative immigration pathway helped Canada pivot quickly during the pandemic, offering immigration opportunities to those already in the country at a time when approved newcomers abroad were unable to enter. The program allowed IRCC to maintain immigration flows and support labour market shortages, especially in healthcare and essential service sectors.
With the program’s closure imminent, Canada is shifting focus back to its regular immigration channels, including Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs, while continuing to evaluate ways to modernize its immigration system.