On November 12, 2026, the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced in Dieppe, New Brunswick a time-limited measure offering provinces and territories additional Provincial Nominee Program allocations. The measure was introduced as part of Budget 2026 and is intended to transition up to a combined total of 100,000 workers and their families to permanent residence in 2027.

What changed

IRCC is offering provinces and territories optional, additional PNP allocations on top of their existing space. Provinces and territories choose how much of the additional space to use, and the allocations are intended to be used by March 31, 2027. Provinces and territories can also identify workers in their jurisdictions who have already applied for permanent residence through specified federal programs and are awaiting a decision.

The federal programs and pilots referenced include the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot, and home care worker programs. The Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot, and home care worker programs are described as federal immigration programs and pilots closed to applications. Details are available in the official IRCC announcement.

Who is affected

The measure is directed at workers already living in Canada who are contributing to key industries and supporting economic development in communities of all sizes, along with their families. This includes workers with pending permanent residence applications under the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot, and home care worker programs.

What this means in practice

Each province and territory will decide whether and how to use the additional allocations within the time frame. Because the federal announcement does not set out how the 100,000 total will be divided, which workers will be prioritized, or the specific selection criteria, the operational details will come from each provincial and territorial immigration authority.

Workers with applications already in the system under the listed federal programs may be identified by their province or territory for transition under this measure. Those who are not identified will continue under the program they originally applied to.

Next steps

• If you have a pending PR application under the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot, or a home care worker program, watch for outreach from the province or territory where you live or work.
• Monitor your provincial or territorial immigration website for announcements on how the additional PNP space will be used.
• Keep your contact details current with IRCC and with provincial and territorial authorities so you can be reached if identified.
• Employers of established foreign workers should follow provincial and territorial announcements to understand how this measure may support worker retention.