Canada has granted permanent residence to 3,600 workers under a new one-time immigration initiative aimed at helping smaller and rural communities fill labour shortages, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says.
The approvals were issued between January 1 and February 28, 2026, under the In-Canada Workers Initiative, a program first announced in Budget 2025. The federal government says the measure will accelerate permanent residence for up to 33,000 workers already living in Canada in 2026 and 2027.
IRCC says the program targets workers who have already built roots in smaller Canadian communities and are helping meet local labour needs in key economic sectors.
The department says it aims to transition at least 20,000 workers to permanent residence in 2026, with the remaining admissions expected in 2027. The program forms part of Ottawa’s wider effort to reshape immigration levels while prioritizing people already living and working in Canada.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the initiative gives stability to workers who are already contributing to local economies.
“This initiative is designed to promote economic growth and address labour shortages in key sectors where they are most needed, in smaller Canadian communities. By transitioning temporary residents who are already living and contributing to their communities to permanent residence, we’re providing the certainty and the stability needed to maintain and grow vibrant local economies,” Diab said.
IRCC says it is initially accelerating eligible applications from existing inventories of work permit holders who have already applied for permanent residence.
Eligible applicants include workers who applied through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, community immigration pilots, caregiver pilots or the Agri-Food Pilot. They must also have lived in smaller Canadian communities for two years or more.
The department says applicants do not need to take any action. Those being granted PR were already selected through regional immigration programs and occupation-driven pilots led by provinces, territories and community partners.
The move comes as Canada works to reduce the share of temporary residents to less than five per cent of the population by the end of 2027. Ottawa says this one-time initiative will also help reduce permanent residence inventories while keeping experienced workers in communities that rely on them.
Buckley Bélanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, said rural and remote communities need immigration pathways shaped around their local realities.
“Rural and remote communities are at the heart of our plan to build One Canadian Economy, and our new government is listening to their distinct needs and realities,” Bélanger said. “By allowing members of these communities to transition to permanent residence, we are supporting the growth and vitality of our rural and remote communities while also helping them address labour shortages in key sectors over the long term.”
IRCC says progress under the initiative will be tracked online and updated monthly.
