Permanent citizenship opportunities for temporary workers in Canada

Hakikul Islam Khokon

The Canadian government has announced plans to grant permanent citizenship (Permanent Residence or PR) to up to 33,000 temporary work permit holders in 2026 and 2027. The matter was mentioned in the 2025 federal budget, which was presented to Parliament by the Liberal minority government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney on November 4. The government expects this initiative to address long-term deficits in Canada’s economy and labor market, as well as create new opportunities for expatriate workers.
Temporary Residents Declining, Targets Redefined
The target for temporary resident intake in 2026 is 385,000—about 43 percent less than the 673,650 in 2025. The number of international students has been reduced by almost half to 155,000. The target of temporary foreign workers has also decreased by 37 percent to 230,000.
The goal of permanent citizenship (PR) remains unchanged
In 2026, the total number of permanent residents in Canada is set to be 380,000. Out of this, 64 percent or 239 thousand 800 people will come under economic immigration program. 84 thousand will be given PR in family reunification and 56 thousand 200 in refugee and humanitarian category.
Priority in rural areas and special sectors
According to the government, the plan will focus on rural and remote areas of Canada, where labor shortages are a long-standing problem. Tariff changes and cost increases have affected business activities in these regions. Therefore, attention is being paid to permanent placement of skilled and experienced foreign workers there.
Changes to the work permit program
Prime Minister Mark Carney said last September, “The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) must be restructured in such a way that it is consistent with the actual labor demand of specific sectors and regions.Although the budget did not provide a specific number, it is expected that more work permits may be issued under the International Mobility Program (IMP).
Not really a big change
Reducing the target for temporary residents does not mean suddenly stopping their entry, the government says. There is also a big shortfall in meeting the 2025 target—only 42 percent of temporary foreign workers and 29 percent of international students entered Canada from January to August of this year.
According to analysts, this new plan could be a major step towards restructuring Canada’s long-term immigration balance and bringing stability to the domestic labor market