Canada has detailed how provinces and territories can use additional immigration nominations to help up to a combined 1,00,000 established workers and their family members secure permanent residence (PR) in 2027, under a temporary measure first announced in the federal budget. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab released the implementation guidelines on Thursday, 13 November 2026, from Dieppe, New Brunswick.

What Was Announced

The measure offers provincial and territorial governments optional additional allocations under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Crucially, the announcement did not introduce a new immigration programme or reopen any closed application pathways. The 1,00,000 figure refers to workers and their families combined — not 1,00,000 workers with family members counted separately on top of that.

Provinces and territories retain discretion over how much of the additional nomination space they use, with the aim of retaining workers already established in their communities and meeting local labour-market needs.

Timeline and Eligibility

The additional allocations are intended to be utilised by 31 March 2027 to support transitions to permanent residence during 2027, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Officials clarified that this date applies to the use of provincial and territorial allocations — it is not a deadline for individual applicants to submit fresh applications.

All workers covered by the measure are already living in Canada and actively contributing to industries and economic development. Provincial and territorial governments will also be able to identify workers in their jurisdictions who have already applied for PR through federal programmes and are awaiting decisions.

Which Programmes Are Covered

Eligible applicants include those under the Atlantic Immigration Program and several programmes or pilots currently closed to new applications: the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot, and home-care worker programmes.

'Our government understands that by retaining high-value, established workers, we can support economic growth and help our businesses thrive,' Minister Metlege Diab said.

What It Means for Employers and Communities

The IRCC said retaining existing workers would help employers maintain access to skilled talent and assist communities facing labour shortages, without adding significant new pressure on housing and community infrastructure. This distinction is notable: rather than attracting fresh arrivals, the policy focuses on converting already-settled workers into permanent residents — a model that sidesteps many of the integration challenges associated with large-scale new immigration.

The measure is separate from the In-Canada Worker Initiative announced in Budget 2025. Thursday's release did not specify how the additional provincial allocations would be distributed across provinces, nor did it provide a nationality-wise breakdown of prospective beneficiaries.

What Happens Next

Provinces and territories are expected to begin engaging with their local employer and community networks to identify eligible workers. As allocations are optional, uptake may vary significantly by region, depending on local labour-market conditions and housing capacity. All eyes will now be on how individual provinces — particularly those with acute skilled-worker shortages — choose to deploy their additional nomination spaces before the 31 March 2027 utilisation deadline.