Worried About Canada’s Closed Immigration Programmes? 5 Groups of Applicants Still Have a Permanent Residence Opportunity

Canada has introduced a new immigration measure that could help thousands of foreign workers already living in the country secure permanent residence in 2027, including applicants who are still waiting for decisions under immigration programmes that have stopped accepting new applications.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the time-limited initiative on November 12, 2026, as part of measures outlined in Canada’s Budget 2026.

Under the arrangement, the federal government will offer provinces and territories additional Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) spaces to support the transition of up to 100,000 workers and their families to permanent residence in 2027.

The initiative is designed to help provinces retain foreign workers who are already employed, established in their communities and contributing to local economies.

It also creates an opportunity for certain applicants caught in the backlogs of discontinued federal immigration programmes to receive provincial support for permanent residence.

5 Closed Canadian Immigration Programmes Whose Applicants May Qualify

The new measure covers applicants who submitted permanent residence applications under five federal immigration programmes that are no longer accepting new applicants.

They include:

1. Atlantic Immigration Programme: A pathway designed to help employers in Canada’s Atlantic provinces recruit and retain foreign workers and international graduates.
2. Start-up Visa Programme: An immigration route for foreign entrepreneurs seeking to establish innovative businesses in Canada.
3. Self-Employed Persons Programme: A pathway for eligible individuals with relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics who intended to make a significant contribution to Canada’s cultural or sporting life.
4. Agri-Food Pilot: A programme that provided permanent residence opportunities to eligible workers in specific agricultural and food-processing industries.
5. Home Care Worker Programmes: Immigration pathways for foreign workers providing eligible home care services.

The initiative is particularly relevant to people who submitted applications before their respective programmes closed but have yet to receive a final decision.

Their applications may still be considered under the new measure, subject to identification and support by the relevant provincial or territorial government.

How Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programme Will Help Applicants

The Provincial Nominee Programme is central to the new initiative.

Under the arrangement, provinces and territories will receive additional nomination allocations, giving them more room to support foreign workers already living and working within their jurisdictions.

Provincial and territorial governments can decide how many of the additional spaces they want to use and identify workers they wish to retain through permanent residence.

The extra allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027.

This means applicants will not automatically receive permanent residence simply because they previously applied through one of the five closed programmes. They must be identified for support by a provincial or territorial government under the initiative.

The announcement also does not establish that every province will participate in the same way or use all its additional nomination spaces.

READ ALSO

US Expands Green Card Eligibility: 4 Types of Foreign Workers Whose Children Can Apply

Why Canada Is Introducing the New Permanent Residence Measure

The Canadian government says the initiative is intended to help employers retain experienced foreign workers and address labour shortages in different communities.

Many of the affected applicants are already living in Canada, working and contributing to their local economies. Allowing provinces to support their transition to permanent residence could help employers avoid losing workers they have already trained and integrated into their operations.

The government also argues that the measure can support immigration targets without creating significant additional pressure on housing and public services because the workers concerned are already established in the country.

Minister Diab described the initiative as an effort to promote stability and fairness, while linking immigration decisions more closely to Canada’s economic needs.

What Applicants Should Know About the 2027 Canada Permanent Residence Route

Foreign workers who previously applied under any of the five programmes should pay attention to the new arrangement, particularly if their applications remain pending.

The most important details are:

• The initiative targets up to 100,000 workers and their families.
• It applies to certain applicants who already submitted applications through the five listed federal programmes.
• Applicants must be identified by a provincial or territorial government.
• Additional Provincial Nominee Programme allocations will support the initiative.
• Provinces and territories can decide how many additional spaces to use.
• The allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027.

The announcement does not mean that Canada has reopened the five discontinued programmes to new applicants. It is a separate, time-limited measure intended to help certain existing applicants transition to permanent residence.

Applicants should monitor announcements from their provincial or territorial immigration authorities for further details about identification, selection and processing.