Maple News reports that Canada’s newly launched immigration pathway for English-speaking international graduates has reached its cap of 40,000 applications just one day after opening. The stream, which was part of a broader effort by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to grant permanent residence to temporary residents already in Canada during the pandemic, closed at 1:01 PM EST on May 7.
The International Graduate stream is one of six introduced on May 6 to create accessible immigration options for international graduates and essential workers. Of these six streams, three are targeted at French-speaking applicants and come with no numerical limits, whereas the English-language streams are capped.
The IRCC announced the initiative on April 14, aiming to help up to 90,000 current residents become permanent residents in 2021. This strategy supports Canada’s broader target of welcoming 401,000 newcomers by the end of the year, while circumventing challenges posed by international travel restrictions.
Application caps for each English-language stream were as follows: 20,000 for Stream A (health care workers), 30,000 for Stream B (other essential non-health care workers), and 40,000 for international graduates. The French-speaking counterpart streams remain uncapped and open until November 5, 2021, or until the government decides to close them.
The French-speaking streams—targeting essential workers and graduates—have seen lower application numbers so far. This is partly due to their ongoing availability and the absence of application limits, along with extended deadlines.
According to data compiled by Maple News, more than 5,000 applications have already been submitted across the English-language essential worker streams (Stream A and Stream B), combined with the now-closed 40,000 graduate applications.
The intense interest in the English-speaking graduate stream is attributed to a combination of lower eligibility thresholds and a substantial pool of eligible temporary residents. Canada currently hosts an estimated 1.5 million work and study permit holders, signaling strong demand for clear, attainable permanent residency pathways.
English-speaking streams will remain open until November 5, 2021, or until they reach capacity—whichever comes first. Given the rapid closure of the graduate stream, potential applicants to other categories are advised to act swiftly.
Maple News will continue monitoring these streams and updating readers on application volumes, changes in eligibility, and additional opportunities for permanent residence under Canada’s evolving immigration strategy.