Work Permit Holders May Get An Accelerated Pathway To PR Says Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028

So far, the new immigration levels plan hasn't given us the depth or clarity many of us were hoping for, but it has given a small glimmer of hope to those in Canada on work permits.

We don't know a lot yet, but here's what we do know.

The One-Time Measure for Work Permit Holders

According to Budget 2025, the government plans to roll out a one-time measure to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027. The idea is to help workers who have already built strong ties to their communities, they're contributing to the economy, paying taxes, and, living as future Canadians.

That's not a huge amount of detail to go on, but it's enough to suggest that something similar to a TR to PR pathway could be coming back in 2026.