New PR streams now live

The six new immigration pathways for temporary residents in Canada opened today, May 6, at about 12:00 p.m. EST.

The online portal is available at this government webpage. You can see how many people have applied so far at this link.

On May 5, Canada published the application guide for the new programs, which contains the required documents and more specifics on what candidates need to apply. The immigration department also published a webpage dedicated to the new streams, which contains a wizard that allows users to check their eligibility.

The streams for for essential workers, international student graduates are expected to fill up fast. There may be up to 1.5 million work and study permit holders in Canada, although much fewer will be eligible for the programs, and even fewer will have all the required documents available today such as language test results. Up to 90,000 new permanent residents can be admitted through three of the new streams. An unlimited number of candidates may apply through the designated pathways for French speakers.

Find out if you're eligible with CanadaVisa's free tool

CIC News has prepared a special FAQ on the immigration streams available here.

Here are the breakdowns of the intake caps by program:

Workers in Canada – Stream A for health care workers (20,000 applications)
Workers in Canada – Stream B for essential non-health care workers (30,000 applications)
International graduates (40,000 applications)
Workers in Canada – Stream A for French-speaking health care workers (no cap)
Workers in Canada – Stream B for French-speaking essential non-health care workers (no cap)
French-speaking international graduates (no cap)

Applications will be open until November 5, or until intake caps fill up, whichever comes first.

Why launch limited-time immigration programs?

These streams were created in an effort for Canada to meet its immigration targets of 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021. Given that travel restrictions limit the flow of newcomers from abroad, the new streams allow for pathways for temporary residents in Canada to become permanent residents.

In a press release following Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino's address on May 5, IRCC wrote the new pathways to permanent residence recognize Canada's need for educated and experienced workers on the journey to economic recovery. These pathways also attempt to recognize the service of so many essential workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of those working on the frontlines during the pandemic were temporary residents.

“The pandemic has shone a bright light on the contributions of newcomers in essential jobs, as we have recognized the caregivers, cooks and cashiers as our everyday heroes," Mendicino said in a media release. "With this new pathway, we are recognizing their key role in our economic recovery, allowing them to set down roots in Canada and help us build back better. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay.”

Do you live in Canada? Apply for PR under these new pathways!