Maple News reports that Canada has officially launched six new immigration programs offering permanent residency (PR) to over 90,000 temporary residents working and studying in the country. These streams opened on May 6 at 12:00 p.m. EST, creating a new path to PR for essential frontline workers, international graduates, and French-speaking applicants living in Canada.
The new pathways are part of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s efforts to meet its ambitious 2021 target of welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents, while also addressing the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions. These measures focus on temporary residents already in Canada, many of whom served on the frontlines during the pandemic.
Three of the programs are capped with a total limit of 90,000 applications:
– 20,000 spots for health care workers (Stream A)
– 30,000 for essential non–health care workers (Stream B)
– 40,000 for recent international graduates
The other three streams, exclusive to French-speaking applicants in the same categories, have no intake limits, highlighting Canada’s continued support for francophone immigration outside Quebec.
Eligible applicants must submit their documentation—including valid language test results and proof of work or study experience—through an online portal. The portal offers tools to check program eligibility and track real-time application numbers. Applications will be accepted until November 5, or until stream-specific quotas are met.
Ahead of the launch, IRCC published a comprehensive application guide outlining required forms and specific criteria. Given an estimated 1.5 million temporary residents in Canada, demand for these pathways is expected to be high, and spots may fill quickly.
“These new pathways acknowledge the crucial contributions of newcomers—especially frontline workers like caregivers, cooks, and cashiers—whose efforts have supported Canada during the pandemic,” said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino. “We want them to stay, grow their roots here, and help us build back stronger.”
These limited-time programs symbolize a shift toward recognizing domestic talent as a cornerstone of Canada’s post-pandemic recovery. By opening these new doors to permanent residency, the government is both addressing current labor market needs and reinforcing its commitment to an inclusive, long-term immigration strategy.