Canada Opens New Permanent Residence Pathway for 45,000 Spouses and Children of Residents
- Canada's immigration minister announced a time-limited measure to offer permanent residence to 45,000 spouses and dependent children already living in Canada
- The move is part of a broader plan covering up to 100,000 workers and families, introduced alongside Budget 2026's immigration levels plan
- Eligible applicants do not need to contact IRCC or take any action for their cases to be processed under the new additional spaces
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Canada has announced a time-limited measure that will give up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents a pathway to permanent residence, provided they are already living in the country.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published the announcement on November 12, 2026, from Dieppe, New Brunswick, where Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab outlined how the federal government plans to work alongside provinces and territories to support worker retention and family stability.
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The 45,000 figure covers family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada and have pending applications.
IRCC said those eligible do not need to take any action or contact the department — their applications will simply be processed under the newly created spaces.
Canada permanent residence pathway: What the measure covers
The family reunification component is one part of a wider initiative. Under the full scheme, IRCC says it will also process:
- Up to 32,000 people who applied under Hong Kong permanent residence pathways, which closed to new applications in August 2026.
- Up to 18,800 people under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, which stopped accepting applications in October 2024.
- Up to 12,600 people already found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Separately, provinces and territories will receive optional additional Provincial Nominee Program allocations, allowing them to transition up to a combined total of 100,000 workers and their families to permanent residence in 2027.
Those allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027.
Canada permanent residence pathway: What Minister Diab said
Minister Diab said the government's approach is built around keeping high-value, established residents in Canada rather than bringing in significant new numbers.
"Our government understands that by retaining high-value, established workers, we can support economic growth and help our businesses thrive," she said.
"With the new time-limited measure presented alongside our sustainable Immigration Levels Plan, we will work closely with provinces and territories to provide certainty and stability to even more employers, workers, and families right across Canada."
IRCC was clear that the measure does not reopen any closed immigration programmes or create new application channels. It is also separate from the In-Canada Worker Initiative that was announced under Budget 2025.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Canada listed five categories of foreigners to get faster permanent residence processing in 2027.
Canada to fast-track 50,800 PR applications for 2 nationalities
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada aims to fast-track 50,800 permanent residence applications for citizens of two countries.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this on November 10, 2026, as part of the country's 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
The measure, first proposed in Budget 2026, is described as time-limited and applies only to applicants who are already in Canada.
Source: Legit.ng
