Canada Lists 5 Closed Immigration Programmes Whose Applicants Can Still Get PR in 2027

• Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced a new time-limited measure on November 12, 2026, targeting applicants in discontinued federal immigration programmes
• The federal government is offering provinces and territories optional additional space to move up to 100,000 workers and their families to permanent residence in 2027
• Five closed programmes are covered under the measure, including the Start-up Visa Programme and the Agri-Food Pilot

Canada's Immigration Minister, Lena Metlege Diab, has opened a new door for thousands of immigrants whose federal programme applications were left in limbo after their respective schemes closed.

On November 12, 2026, Minister Diab announced that the federal government, as part of Budget 2026, would offer provinces and territories optional, additional room to move up to 100,000 workers and their families to permanent residence in 2027. The workers in question are already living and working inside Canada, contributing to their local economies and communities.

Canada's 5 closed programmes covered by measure

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The new measure applies to applicants who submitted paperwork through any of five federal immigration programmes that are no longer accepting new entrants. Those programmes are the Atlantic Immigration Programme, the Start-up Visa Programme, the Self-Employed Persons Programme, the Agri-Food Pilot, and home care worker programmes.

Applicants in each of these schemes who lodged their paperwork before their programme shut down and are still awaiting a final decision can now be identified by provincial and territorial governments for support under the new allocation.

How Canada's provinces and territories will use extra spaces

The mechanism for delivering the measure runs through the Provincial Nominee Programme. Each province and territory will receive additional PNP allocations and can choose how much of that extra space it uses. All allocated spaces must be utilised by 31 March 2027.

According to the Canadian government, the rationale behind the approach is partly practical: because the workers concerned are already settled in their communities, moving them to permanent residence would not place significant new pressure on housing or public services. The measure is also designed to help employers retain skilled workers and address labour shortages across the country.

Minister Diab characterised the initiative as a question of stability and fairness, stating that well-managed immigration tied to economic needs is central to building a stronger Canada

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Canada opens new PR route for 45,000 spouses and children

YEN.com.gh reported that Canada had announced a time-limited measure on November 12, 2026, creating a new permanent residence pathway for eligible family members

Up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children already living in Canada qualify under the new initiative

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the scheme focuses on retaining established residents rather than adding significant new arrivals

Source: YEN.com.gh