Canada Lists 5 Categories of Foreigners to Get Faster Permanent Residence Processing in 2027

• Canada's immigration minister met with Ukrainian and Hong Kong community leaders on November 7 to announce a new time-limited measure for pending PR applicants
• The measure covers thousands of people already living and working in Canada who have faced long wait times under closed permanent residence pathways
• Canada's 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan includes extra admission spaces that will not displace refugees or other vulnerable groups already in the queue

Canada's federal government has announced a time-limited measure under its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan that will fast-track permanent residence processing for specific groups of foreigners already living in the country.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the details on November 10, 2026, following a meeting on November 7 between Minister Lena Metlege Diab and leaders of the Ukrainian and Hong Kong communities in Canada.

Canada permanent residency: Who will benefit from the faster processing?

The measure sets aside permanent resident admission spaces in 2027 to clear backlogs across several categories. The foreigners covered under this plan include:

1. Hong Kong nationals with applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways, which stopped accepting new applicants in August 2026. Up to 32,000 admissions are expected.

2. Ukrainian nationals who applied under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway before it closed in October 2024. Up to 18,800 admissions are expected.

3. People already found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Up to 12,600 are expected to benefit.

4. Spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Canada. Up to 45,000 are covered.

5. Workers in Canadian communities and their eligible family members, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments. Up to 100,000 are expected to benefit.

The government stressed that because all these applicants are already in Canada, they do not represent new arrivals to the country.

Canada permanent residency: What the government said

Minister Diab said the move was about keeping existing promises rather than opening new doors.

"Canada is building on its progress to return sustainability to our immigration system while honouring the commitments we made to those in need," she said.

"The time-limited measure announced with our levels plan will allow us to deliver faster on our promises to people from Hong Kong and Ukraine, giving them certainty as they continue to build their lives and contribute to our country."

Alexandra Chyczij, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, welcomed the announcement, saying it "will address the backlog of Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applications by the end of 2027."

Dr Henry Pang, a physician and Hong Kong community representative, said the measure "gives our Hong Kong community renewed hope" and would "unlock valuable health care manpower that is already here in Canada."

IRCC confirmed that applicants do not need to contact the department or take any action for their files to be processed under the additional spaces. The measure does not reopen any closed pathways or create new programmes.

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Canada has made the Rural Community Immigration Pilot a permanent programme.

Canada's new permanent residence pathway for foreign workers

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada opened a new permanent residence pathway for foreign workers.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab made the announcement on November 9, 2026, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, confirming that the government had set aside 5,500 admission spaces for the now-permanent Rural Community Immigration Programme under the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.

The move builds on the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which ran from 2019 to 2024, and its successor pilot launched in 2025.

Source: Legit.ng