Ottawa Gives Provinces 139 Days to Nominate More Workers

Canada has given provinces and territories until March 31, 2027, to nominate tens of thousands of additional workers for permanent residence (PR), creating another opportunity for people already working and living in the country.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the deadline on November 12, 2026. The measure covers eligible workers outside Quebec and their accompanying family members.

Additional Places Beyond Existing Targets

The nominations form part of a temporary federal initiative offering up to 100,000 additional economic immigration spaces for workers already in Canada by the end of 2027.

These spaces are separate from the 95,000 admissions planned for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in 2027. The government says the new allocation will help provinces retain workers who have established themselves locally and can meet regional labour needs.

Participation is optional. Each province or territory can decide how many additional nominations to issue, and whether to use regular PNP streams or those linked to Express Entry.

Ottawa has not yet announced which jurisdictions will participate or how many places each will receive.

A Tight Timeline for Applications

The March deadline gives provincial governments 139 days from the announcement to nominate eligible candidates. It also leaves IRCC approximately nine months to process resulting applications before the end of 2027.

Provincial nomination does not itself grant permanent residence. Applicants must still meet federal requirements and receive an approval from IRCC.

The extra places focus on workers currently in Canada, rather than creating a new general pathway for people living abroad.

Some Pending Applicants May Benefit

Provinces and territories can also identify workers who have already applied for permanent residence and are waiting for decisions.

This may include applicants under the Atlantic Immigration Program, as well as certain programs now closed to new applications: the Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker pathways, including the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.

According to IRCC, applicants do not need to submit a separate request to have their existing applications considered under the additional allocations.

Other Groups Included in Wider Plan

The worker initiative is part of a broader, time-limited effort to provide up to 200,000 additional permanent residence spaces.

Another allocation of up to 100,000 spaces covers selected groups with existing applications, including up to 32,000 Hong Kong pathway applicants, 18,800 Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applicants and 12,600 people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

It also includes up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada.

These figures describe possible allocations, not guaranteed approvals for every applicant.

What Happens Next?

The two temporary measures sit above Canada's planned 2027 permanent residence admissions target of 380,000.

For workers, the immediate question is how individual provinces choose to use their extra spaces. Until governments publish allocations and selection details, candidates cannot assume that a new nomination opportunity is available in their region.

Employers and workers should follow provincial announcements for new eligibility criteria, selection priorities and application instructions.