Canada is preparing to launch several new permanent residence (PR) pathways in 2026. These options will mainly help people who already live in Canada and want to move from temporary status to permanent status.

Next year, the government will reopen some programs that stopped taking applications in 2025 after they reached their limits. It will also introduce completely new PR pathways for different types of workers.

Below is a list of new permanent residency pathways coming to Canada in 2026.

Let’s take a look and discuss them in detail.

New TR To PR Pathway For Temporary Workers

In the Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028, Canada announced a plan to help as many as 33,000 temporary work permit holders become permanent residents in 2026 and 2027.

This pathway will target workers who:

  • Have lived in Canada for some time
  • Are paying taxes
  • Are active in their communities
  • Have shown they can support themselves and contribute to the economy

Canada previously ran a similar TR to PR pathway in 2021, but it filled up on the same day it opened because of high demand.

Details And Eligibility

The government has not announced how the new TR to PR pathway will work. More details on documents and requirements are expected soon. 

Faster PR Pathway For H-1B Visa Holders

In the 2025 federal budget, Canada shared plans to create a new fast-track PR pathway for the U.S.-based H-1B visa holders. This is meant to attract highly skilled workers in:

  • Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Research
  • Other innovation-focused fields

Government officials have said this new pathway will open “in the coming months,” but no date is confirmed yet.

This builds on Canada’s 2023 H-1B Open Work Permit pilot, which allowed 10,000 H-1B workers to move to Canada. That program reached its cap within days.

Details And Eligibility

The government has not shared the full criteria yet, but having a valid U.S. H-1B visa will most likely be required.

New PR Option For Construction Workers

In March 2025, Canada announced that it will admit up to 14,000 foreign construction workers. It is not yet clear whether these workers will enter Canada permanently, temporarily, or through a mix of both.

Former immigration minister Marc Miller also said that 6,000 spaces would be reserved for undocumented construction workers already in Canada.

This plan was created to support the construction sector during Canada’s housing shortage.

The government has not yet shared a launch date or eligibility rules.

New Stream For Agriculture And Fish Processing Workers

Another one of the new permanent residency pathways coming to Canada in 2026 is Agriculture and Fish Processing Workers.  

This stream will expand agreements with partner countries to make hiring easier. IRCC is working with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on this program, with a goal to launch it during 2025–2026.

The pathway will include a special work permit for workers in these industries.

Details And Eligibility

Eligibility rules are not available yet.

New Permanent Pathway To Replace The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

Canada also plans to introduce a new permanent PR program to replace the current Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

The EMPP helps skilled refugees and displaced people find jobs in Canada while giving employers access to new talent. The current pilot ends December 31, 2025, but because detailed rules aren’t published yet, the new pathway may launch in 2026 instead. 

In addition, the government announced a one-time measure to help about 115,000 protected persons in Canada transition to PR more easily. This may be connected to the upcoming EMPP replacement pathway.

Since 2019, a total of 970 people have been admitted to Canada through the EMPP. The Federal EMPP Job Offer and No Job Offer streams are no longer accepting applications.

Details And Eligibility

The new pathway may have requirements similar to the EMPP. To qualify for the EMPP, applicants must:

  • Prove they are refugees or displaced persons
  • Meet criteria related to work experience, education, and language skills

Reopening Of Existing Pathways In 2026

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots

In March 2025, Canada introduced two pilot programs offering PR to home care workers with job offers:

  • Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care
  • Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support

Each pilot had two streams:

  • For workers already inside Canada
  • For applicants not working in Canada

In 2025, each pilot accepted 2,750 applications, and both reached their caps on the day they opened. A portion of spots was reserved for out-of-status workers.

The stream for applicants not working in Canada never opened and is now marked “closed.”

It is expected that IRCC will reopen the in-Canada worker streams of these pilots in 2026.

Details And Eligibility

Applicants must have:

  • A valid full-time job offer
  • Language score of CLB 4 or higher
  • Secondary school education or higher
  • Six months of work experience

Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) & Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)

Another one of the permanent residency pathways coming to Canada in 2026 is the FCIP & the RCIP. 

Both programs launched in 2025 to help employers in rural communities outside Quebec fill labour shortages.

These pathways are designed for skilled foreign workers who want to live and settle permanently in rural communities.

Both RCIP and FCIP are employer-driven and require a job offer. Applicants must meet other requirements related to education, work experience, language ability, and settlement funds.

For the FCIP, applicants must also show French language proficiency.

These pathways are still open, but in 2026, communities may release:

  • New employer designations
  • Updated priority sectors
  • Updated in-demand occupations
Details And Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Have a qualifying job offer in a priority sector
  • Have at least one year (1,560 hours) of related work experience within the last three years or be a recent graduate from an eligible school
  • Meet language requirements:
    • RCIP: CLB 4 – 6 (based on NOC)
    • FCIP: French at NCLC 5 in all abilities
  • Hold a Canadian or equivalent secondary or post-secondary credential
  • Have enough settlement funds to support themselves and family

CWRVisa, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at CWRVisa.ca.