Canadian immigration authorities announced on Thursday (5 November 2026) that the new Immigration Levels Plan for 2027‑2029 will include a temporary measure providing an additional 200 000 permanent‑resident slots. The measure is intended to process applications from people already in Canada who have contributed to their communities, including those who entered under the Hong Kong “lifeboat” program and those applying for Ukrainian family reunification. Under the plan, the extra 200 000 slots are split into two categories: up to 100 000 for workers and up to 100 000 for humanitarian cases. The humanitarian category covers the Hong Kong lifeboat applicants and Ukrainian family‑reunification cases. Applicants who submitted their Hong Kong permanent‑resident applications before the program’s closure on 31 August 2025 are expected to have their cases processed by 2027. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarified that this temporary measure does not create a new immigration pathway and will not increase the annual intake of permanent residents. Canada will maintain a target of approximately 380 000 permanent‑resident slots and 370 000 temporary‑resident slots each year over the next three years.
Article source: Sing Tao Electronic Daily | Image credit: Sing Tao Electronic Daily