Canada Reveals 2027 Plan for 100,000 Extra PR Spaces

Canada has released new details about its plans to speed up permanent residence applications in 2027, outlining how up to 100,000 additional admission spaces will support people already living in the country.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the measures on November 10, 2026. The initiative aims to reduce application backlogs, reunite families and provide greater certainty to applicants who have been waiting for immigration decisions.

How Canada Plans to Allocate Additional PR Spaces

The government has identified four groups expected to benefit from faster permanent residence processing.

Under the announced plan, Canada expects the following admissions:

• 32,000 through permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents.
• 18,800 through the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.
• 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• 12,600 applicants approved in principle on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

These figures represent expected admissions rather than separate guaranteed quotas. Together, the estimates exceed 100,000, although the overall initiative provides up to 100,000 additional spaces.

Priority for Ukrainian and Hong Kong Applicants

IRCC intends to process all remaining applications under the designated Hong Kong and Ukrainian immigration pathways by the end of 2027.

The Hong Kong pathways, introduced in 2021, stopped accepting applications on August 31, 2026. The Ukrainian family reunification program closed to new applications on October 22, 2024.

Both programs have applicants who remain in Canada while awaiting final decisions. The additional admission spaces are intended to help resolve these outstanding cases.

Importantly, the measures do not reopen either pathway to new applicants.

More Support for Families and Humanitarian Applicants

The government will also prioritize eligible spouses, partners and dependent children seeking permanent residence through family sponsorship.

Humanitarian and compassionate applicants who have received approval in principle will benefit from additional processing capacity.

All applicants covered by these measures must already be in Canada and have submitted their permanent residence applications.

IRCC confirmed that eligible individuals do not need to submit another application or contact the department to request faster processing.

Canada's Broader Immigration Plan for 2027

The additional spaces form part of the government's 2027 temporary-to-permanent residence transition measures, announced in Budget 2026.

These measures provide up to 200,000 additional permanent residence admissions beyond Canada's regular annual target of 380,000 for 2027.

The government plans to allocate the other 100,000 spaces to eligible workers already living in Canada and their family members, working with provinces and territories through the Provincial Nominee Program and other designated arrangements.

Earlier Immigration Measures Remain Separate

The 2027 initiative is separate from two temporary measures introduced for 2026 and 2027.

Those earlier initiatives aim to help 115,000 protected persons and 33,000 foreign workers transition to permanent residence.

However, federal immigration documents have not specified exactly how many admissions under those earlier measures will occur during 2027.

The latest announcement therefore provides greater clarity on how Canada intends to manage existing applications while maintaining its broader immigration targets.

For applicants already waiting in Canada, the changes could mean shorter processing times and greater certainty about their future.