On this page you will find:
- Details of Canada’s new permanent residence backlog reduction measures
- How many Hong Kong and Ukrainian applicants could benefit
- New processing capacity for humanitarian and compassionate applicants
- Plans to accelerate permanent residence for spouses and dependent children
- What is known about permanent residence for 100,000 workers and their families
- Whether applicants need to take action
- How the measures fit into Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan
Canada has announced plans to accelerate permanent residence processing for thousands of Ukrainians, Hong Kong residents, sponsored family members and foreign workers already living in the country.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed on November 10 that it intends to use additional permanent residence admissions space in 2027 to clear outstanding applications under several existing immigration pathways.
The measures could benefit up to 32,000 people under Hong Kong permanent residence pathways and 18,800 under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.
The federal government also plans to support permanent residence for thousands of humanitarian applicants, sponsored spouses and dependent children, alongside up to 100,000 workers and eligible family members.
The announcement provides further details of the time-limited measures introduced under Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
Importantly, the initiative does not create a new permanent residence program or reopen immigration pathways that have already closed.
Instead, the government intends to accelerate decisions for people who have already applied and help eligible temporary residents transition to permanent status.
Which Permanent Residence Applicants Will Benefit?
IRCC has identified five groups that could benefit from the additional admissions capacity.
| Applicant group | Expected or maximum admissions |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong permanent residence pathways | Up to 32,000 |
| Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway | Up to 18,800 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate applicants already found eligible | Up to 12,600 |
| Spouses, common-law partners and dependent children living in Canada | Up to 45,000 |
| Workers in Canadian communities and eligible family members | Up to 100,000 |
The figures represent expected admissions or maximum numbers under different components of the initiative. They do not guarantee approval for individual applicants.
They should also not be added together and treated as a new overall immigration target. The government’s broader initiative provides for up to 200,000 additional permanent residence admissions over 2027 and 2028, with separate worker and humanitarian components.
The additional processing capacity is particularly significant for applicants who have already spent years in Canada but have been unable to secure permanent resident status.
Canada Plans To Clear Hong Kong Permanent Residence Backlog
One of the most significant commitments concerns applicants under Canada’s dedicated Hong Kong permanent residence pathways.
IRCC intends to provide enough admissions space in 2027 to process all remaining applications under these programs.
The department expects the applications to result in up to 32,000 permanent residence admissions.
Canada introduced the special pathways in 2021 to provide eligible Hong Kong residents with a route to permanent residence based on Canadian education or work experience.
The initiative offered opportunities to people who had established themselves in Canada but might not qualify under other economic immigration programs.
However, growing application inventories left some applicants facing lengthy waits for decisions.
The federal government closed the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways to new applications on August 31, 2026.
The November announcement does not reverse that decision.
Instead, IRCC intends to use the additional 2027 admissions capacity to finalize outstanding applications and fulfil its earlier commitments.
For people who applied before the deadline, the announcement provides a clearer indication of when the government intends to resolve the remaining cases.
It does not mean every application will receive approval. Applicants must still meet the relevant immigration requirements.
Ukrainian Family Reunification Applicants Could See Faster Decisions
Canada has also committed to addressing outstanding applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.
IRCC expects the remaining applications to result in up to 18,800 permanent residence admissions.
The government introduced the pathway on October 23, 2023, to help eligible Ukrainian nationals in Canada obtain permanent residence through family connections.
It covered qualifying Ukrainian nationals with immediate or extended family members who were Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
The pathway closed to new applications on October 22, 2024.
Despite the closure, many applicants have continued waiting for decisions on applications submitted before the deadline.
The additional admissions space is intended to allow IRCC to process the remaining inventory during 2027.
The measure is particularly important for Ukrainian families seeking long-term certainty after arriving in Canada following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, the announcement does not establish a new permanent residence pathway for everyone who arrived under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).
Ukrainians who did not submit an eligible application under the family reunification pathway before its closure cannot use the November announcement to enter that closed program.
They must consider other immigration pathways for which they qualify.
Humanitarian And Compassionate Applicants To Receive Additional Processing Capacity
IRCC also intends to facilitate permanent residence for up to 12,600 people who have already been found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Humanitarian and compassionate applications allow people to request permanent residence based on exceptional personal circumstances that may justify an exemption from certain immigration requirements.
Officers may consider factors such as applicants’ establishment in Canada, family connections, hardship and the best interests of children affected by a decision.
The November measure targets people who have already passed the relevant eligibility assessment but are still waiting for permanent residence.
This distinction is important.
The government has not announced a general expansion of humanitarian and compassionate eligibility or a new application process.
Instead, the additional admissions capacity should allow IRCC to finalize more applications that have already reached an advanced stage.
The measure operates separately from the regular humanitarian and compassionate admissions targets in the Immigration Levels Plan.
IRCC has also confirmed that it will not reduce existing refugee resettlement commitments to make room for these applicants.
Up To 45,000 Spouses And Dependent Children Could Benefit
The government’s announcement also includes additional permanent residence processing capacity for up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada.
The measure could provide relief to families facing extended processing delays.
Under Canada’s family sponsorship immigration programs, eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor qualifying relatives for permanent residence.
These include spouses, common-law partners and dependent children.
However, processing delays have created uncertainty for some families, particularly where sponsored relatives are already living in Canada on temporary permits.
The additional admissions space should allow IRCC to finalize more of these applications without relying exclusively on regular family class targets.
The announcement does not change the underlying sponsorship eligibility requirements.
Applicants must still satisfy the relevant immigration criteria, including relationship, admissibility and sponsorship requirements.
For more information, applicants can consult the guides to spousal sponsorship and sponsoring dependent children.
Canada Plans Permanent Residence For Up To 100,000 Workers And Family Members
The November announcement also confirms that the government intends to help transition up to 100,000 workers in Canadian communities and their eligible family members to permanent residence.
IRCC says it will work with provinces and territories to implement this component.
The measure forms part of the government’s broader strategy to retain temporary residents who have already established themselves in Canada and contribute to local labour markets.
Under the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, the government identified workers already living in Canada as a priority for additional permanent residence admissions.
The initiative is expected to support existing immigration applications and eligible provincial nominations.
However, IRCC has not announced a new general application process through which all temporary foreign workers can seek permanent residence under the measure.
Eligibility will depend on the relevant immigration pathway and any further implementation requirements.
Workers seeking permanent residence through existing programs can also explore the Provincial Nominee Programs.
The additional capacity could help provinces retain workers who already contribute to their economies, particularly in communities facing labour shortages.
Do Permanent Residence Applicants Need To Take Action?
IRCC has explicitly stated that applicants do not need to submit new applications or contact the department to benefit from the additional processing capacity.
The government intends to use existing applications and immigration processes to identify eligible cases.
Applicants should therefore:
- Continue monitoring their existing permanent residence applications.
- Respond promptly if IRCC requests additional documents or information.
- Keep their contact details updated with the department.
- Maintain valid temporary resident status where required.
- Avoid submitting duplicate applications solely because of the announcement.
The government has not indicated that applicants must register separately for the initiative.
It has also not introduced a special application fee or a new selection process for people seeking access to the additional admissions places.
Applicants should remember that faster processing does not guarantee a positive decision.
IRCC must still assess each application against the applicable immigration and admissibility requirements.
How Does The Initiative Fit Into Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan?
The new measures form part of a broader government effort to reduce immigration application inventories while controlling the number of new arrivals.
Canada’s latest Immigration Levels Plan maintains its annual permanent residence admissions target at 380,000 for 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Alongside those regular targets, the government has announced a time-limited initiative providing capacity for up to 200,000 additional permanent residence admissions in 2027 and 2028.
The initiative focuses on two broad groups: workers already established in Canadian communities and people with outstanding humanitarian or family-related applications.
The November 10 announcement provides more detailed figures for several of those groups.
The federal government has emphasized that these measures largely concern people who are already in Canada.
As a result, their transition from temporary to permanent status should not produce the same population impact as admitting an equivalent number of people from overseas.
The measures could also help the government meet its objective of reducing temporary residents to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.
At the same time, IRCC hopes to reduce application backlogs and provide greater certainty for people who have already established their lives in Canadian communities.
The main test will be whether the department can translate its additional admissions commitments into faster decisions.
For Hong Kong and Ukrainian family reunification applicants in particular, the government has now established a clear objective of processing the remaining applications during 2027.
That offers greater certainty, although the results will depend on IRCC’s processing capacity and the eligibility of individual applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for Canada’s new permanent residence processing measures?
The measures cover several groups already living in Canada, including Hong Kong permanent residence applicants, Ukrainian family reunification applicants, eligible humanitarian and compassionate applicants, sponsored spouses and dependent children, and certain workers and their families. Eligibility depends on the existing immigration pathway. The announcement does not automatically qualify every temporary resident for permanent residence.
Is Canada reopening the Hong Kong and Ukraine permanent residence pathways?
No. Canada’s Hong Kong permanent residence pathways closed on August 31, 2026, while the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway closed on October 22, 2024. Neither program is reopening. IRCC intends to use additional admissions space in 2027 to process outstanding applications submitted under these pathways before their respective deadlines.
Do applicants need to submit a new permanent residence application?
No. IRCC has confirmed that applicants do not need to submit new applications or contact the department to benefit from the additional processing capacity. Existing applications will continue through the immigration system. Applicants should monitor their files, respond to requests for information and maintain valid immigration status where required.
Will all outstanding Hong Kong and Ukrainian applications be approved in 2027?
Not necessarily. IRCC intends to process all remaining applications under the two pathways during 2027, with expected admissions of up to 32,000 Hong Kong applicants and 18,800 Ukrainian family reunification applicants. However, processing an application does not guarantee approval. Applicants must still satisfy the relevant immigration and admissibility requirements.
Can any temporary foreign worker apply under the 100,000-worker measure?
No. The government has announced plans to help up to 100,000 workers and eligible family members transition to permanent residence, working with provinces and territories. However, it has not established a general application process for all temporary workers. Eligibility will depend on existing immigration pathways and any additional implementation criteria announced by IRCC.