Maple News reports that Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, is set to address the nation on new, fast-tracked permanent residency (PR) pathways for temporary residents, including essential workers, international graduates, and French-speaking applicants. The announcement is scheduled for May 5 at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time.
This upcoming event, which includes a media Q&A and a roundtable discussion featuring healthcare professionals, precedes the official rollout of six limited-time immigration streams. These new programs are designed to transition around 90,000 temporary residents to permanent status in Canada.
Three main groups are eligible under the initiative: essential workers in healthcare and other key sectors, international student graduates, and French-speaking essential workers and graduates. Of the total 90,000 permitted spots, 50,000 have been reserved for essential workers, while 40,000 have been allocated for recent international graduates. The French-speaking streams—designed to strengthen francophone communities across the country—come with no intake cap, allowing unlimited applicants who meet eligibility criteria.
These pathways aim to recognize the vital contributions of temporary residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly frontline workers who supported Canada’s public health and economic recovery. According to Maple News, the initiative is part of Canada’s broader effort to drive economic resilience through immigration while addressing labor shortages in key industries.
By creating additional opportunities for individuals already contributing to Canadian society, the programs strengthen integration and reduce reliance on temporary status. They are also intended to align with Canada’s 2021 immigration targets under the Immigration Levels Plan.
The rollout marks a historic step in Canadian immigration policy, offering an expedited route to permanent residency for thousands of workers and students who have laid down roots in the country. Maple News will continue to provide updates as application portals open and further details become available.