Canada is set to introduce several new pathways to permanent residence (PR) in the upcoming year.
In 2026, the federal government will prioritize in-Canada applicants through various pathways and programs that aim to transition temporary residents into permanent residents.
Moreover, 2026 will see the reopening of intake periods for some pathways and immigration streams that closed in 2025 after meeting their cap.
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Here’s a look at all the PR pathways expected to launch in 2026.
Temporary resident to permanent resident pathway
In the Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028, the federal government announced plans to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary work permit holders to permanent residence over 2026 and 2027.
This initiative will target workers who have established strong roots in their communities, are paying taxes, and are contributing to the Canadian economy.
In 2021, IRCC introduced a limited-time temporary resident to permanent resident pathway. It hit its cap on the same day it launched.
Details and eligibility:
Details on how the government plans to implement this accelerated transition are yet to be announced. For details on the documentation that you want to keep ready for this upcoming pathway, visit our article on the topic.
Accelerated pathway for H-1B holders
In the 2025 federal budget, the Canadian government signalled plans to launch a new accelerated pathway to permanent residence for holders of US H-1B visas.
This upcoming program is designed to attract highly skilled professionals in key sectors such as technology, healthcare, and research as part of Canada’s strategy to boost innovation.
Officials have indicated the pathway will launch “in the coming months,” though no specific date or detailed criteria have yet been announced.
This move builds on a successful 2023 pilot that offered three-year open work permits to H-1B visa holders, a program that reached its 10,000-application cap within days due to overwhelming demand.
Details and eligibility:
While the government has not shared specific details on the upcoming pathway as of the time of writing, having a US H-1B visa will likely be a prerequisite to apply.
PR pathway for construction workers
In March 2025, IRCC announced it would admit up to 14,000 foreign national construction workers to Canada. Details on whether they would be admitted under permanent, temporary (or a combination thereof) pathways haven’t been given.
Out of this, the then immigration minister Marc Miller stated that up to 6,000 immigration spaces would be reserved for undocumented construction workers already in Canada.
This initiative was launched to support Canada’s construction sector, which has faced persistent labour shortages in the midst of a housing supply shortage.
The government has not yet released details on when this program will begin or the eligibility criteria for applicants as of now.
Stream for agriculture and fish processing
In the 2025-2026 Department Plan, IRCC revealed plans to create a sector-specific stream for foreign workers in agriculture and fish processing.
This new stream would expand partner country agreements, streamlining the hiring of workers in these sectors. At the time of the announcement, IRCC noted it was developing this stream in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), with a goal to launch in 2025–2026.
The program will include a corresponding sector-specific work permit.
Details on eligibility have yet to be disclosed.
Replacement pathway to the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
The federal government is also expected to create a new permanent pathway to PR, to replace the existing Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).
The EMPP is a program that helps skilled refugees and displaced people looking to work in Canada, while also allowing Canadian employers to tap into a new labour pool.
According to IRCC’s 2025–2026 Departmental Plan, the permanent program was expected to launch before the current EMPP pilot expires on December 31, 2025, but detailed eligibility rules and program features have not yet been released, which means this may launch in 2026 instead.
In the most recent Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government announced that it would be implementing a one-time initiative to streamline the transition to permanent residence for about 115,000 protected persons who are already in the country. While it is not certain, this transition could be under the upcoming Economic Mobility Pathway.
Since its inception, a total of 970 people have been admitted to Canada through the EMPP, according to the most recent government data (2019 – Mar 2025). The program is currently no longer accepting new applications for its Federal EMPP Job Offer and No Job Offer streams.
Details and eligibility:
The new pathway is expected to have criteria similar to those of the EMPP.
To be eligible for the EMPP, one must be able to prove their status as a refugee or displaced person.
They may have to meet additional criteria related to work experience, education, and language skills.
Re-opening of intake for existing pathways
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots
In March 2025, IRCC launched two pilot programs through which home care workers with job offers can gain permanent residency:
- The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care; and
- The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support.
Each pathway had two application streams: for workers inside Canada and for applicants not working in Canada.
In 2025, both pilots accepted 2,750 applications each and reached their caps within the day of launching. A limited number of these spaces was reserved for out-of-status home care workers in Canada.
While the stream for workers inside Canada opened and reached its cap in a day, the stream for applicants not working in Canada never opened but is now labelled as “closed” on IRCC’s page.
It is expected that IRCC will reopen the applicants working in Canada streams of these pilots in 2026.
Details and eligibility:
Applicants must have an eligible full-time job offer in Canada to qualify for these pilots.
In addition, applicants must meet certain criteria:
- Language proficiency: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or higher.
- Education: Secondary school diploma or higher.
- Work experience: Six months’ work experience.
You can find the full eligibility requirements here.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
Both the RCIP and FCIP are pilot programs launched in 2025 to help employers in rural communities outside Quebec address labour shortages.
These pathways are for skilled foreign workers with in-demand skills who wish to live and settle in these communities permanently.
Both the RCIP and FCIP are employer-led pathways, and require a job offer for a candidate to be eligible. Candidates must also meet other eligibility criteria regarding education, work experience, language proficiency, and settlement funds.
For the FCIP, candidates also need to prove French language proficiency.
While these pathways have not closed, 2026 may see new employer designations and priority sectors and occupations being announced by participating communities.
Details and eligibility:
Applicants need to have a qualifying job offer in a priority occupation and sector, as chosen by the community they intend to settle in.
Apart from this, they need to meet other criteria:
- Work experience: Have at least one year (or 1,560 hours) of related work experience in the past three years, or have graduated from an eligible post-secondary school in the community.
- Language proficiency: Meet English or French language proficiency requirements: For the RCIP, it ranges between Canadian Language Benchmark 4 – 6, (depending on the job offer’s NOC code), attested to by valid language test results from the past two years. For the FCIP, applicants must display French language ability equivalent to a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level 5 in all language abilities.
- Education: Canadian secondary school diploma or post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree (or foreign equivalent).
- Settlement funds: Have enough money to support themselves and their families through the settlement process. The amount of settlement funds needed can be viewed here.
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