New immigration measures aim to accelerate up to 50,800 permanent resident admissions, reduce uncertainty for applicants already in Canada, and honour longstanding humanitarian commitments.

Canada is taking steps to clear a significant immigration backlog, introducing a time-limited measure designed to accelerate permanent residence applications for thousands of Ukrainians and Hong Kongers who have already established lives in the country.

Announced as part of Budget 2026 and Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, the initiative would create additional permanent resident admission spaces in 2027, helping Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) process outstanding applications while advancing broader efforts to restore sustainability and efficiency to the immigration system.

On November 7, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab met with Ukrainian and Hong Kong community leaders to outline the proposed measure, which includes a dedicated humanitarian cohort for applicants facing prolonged processing delays.

The initiative targets two immigration pathways that are now closed to new applications. The Hong Kong permanent residence pathways, which closed in August 2026, account for up to 32,000 anticipated admissions, while the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, closed since October 2024, represents up to 18,800 admissions.

Together, these measures could facilitate up to 50,800 permanent resident admissions, providing greater certainty to individuals and families who have spent years waiting for decisions.

“Canada is building on its progress to return sustainability to our immigration system while honouring the commitments we made to those in need. The time-limited measure announced with our levels plan will allow us to deliver faster on our promises to people from Hong Kong and Ukraine, giving them certainty as they continue to build their lives and contribute to our country,” said Minister Metlege Diab.

Importantly, the applicants affected by this initiative are already living, working, and contributing to Canadian communities. Their transition to permanent residence would therefore not represent net new arrivals to Canada.

The measure also operates separately from the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other category targets in the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, ensuring that additional processing capacity does not displace other vulnerable populations, including resettled refugees.

For Hong Kong applicants, the announcement represents a significant development following years of community advocacy.

“After five years of advocacy alongside the Hong Kong community, I am proud that we have achieved a path forward for the individuals and families who choose to call Canada home. I thank them for their patience and resilience. I know they will enrich our communities through their positive and lasting contributions to Canada,” said Jean Yip, Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Agincourt.

Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham—Unionville, also emphasized the importance of providing families with greater certainty after lengthy waits.

‘’Through my work with Hong Kong pathway applicants and their families, I have heard how difficult it is to plan for the future while waiting for a decision. I thank the community for its persistent, respectful advocacy. Finalizing all remaining applications by the end of 2027 is an important step toward honouring Canada’s commitment and giving families greater certainty. I will continue working with the Minister and those who have already built lives and contributed so much to Markham–Unionville and communities across Canada.’’

Beyond addressing humanitarian commitments, the initiative carries economic implications. Greater immigration certainty could help applicants pursue professional qualifications, workforce training, and longer-term career opportunities.

“Honouring our existing commitments is not only the right thing to do, it will also strengthen Canada’s economy by ensuring Canadian businesses have access to the workforce they need to compete and by providing people the certainty they need to pursue the training and professional qualifications that will help maximize their contributions to Canada. The new immigration levels plan complements the reforms that we are making to restore sustainability to our immigration system while enabling people already contributing to Canada’s economy to contribute even more,” said Yvan Baker, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre.

Ukrainian Canadian organizations also welcomed the initiative, particularly its commitment to addressing outstanding family reunification applications.

“The Ukrainian Canadian community welcomes the new measures announced by the government that will address the backlog of Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applications by the end of 2027. We thank Minister Metlege Diab for taking the time to hear the perspectives of the Ukrainian community—including on permanent residence pathways for Ukrainians in Canada on the CUAET visa—and look forward to continuing dialogue with the Minister,” said Alexandra Chyczij, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

Dr. Henry Pang, a physician and Hong Kong community representative, highlighted the potential benefits for Canada’s health care workforce.

“The time-limited measure presented in this year’s immigration levels plan gives our Hong Kong community renewed hope. By clearing the backlog for the Hong Kong pathways, Canada will not only honour its commitment, it will also unlock valuable health care manpower that is already here in Canada, contributing to our economy and public services. We are grateful to the Government of Canada and the many Hong Kong organizations and our supporters whose respectful advocacy helped make this measure possible.”

The initiative forms part of Canada’s wider immigration recalibration, which includes reducing the temporary resident population and improving processing times across IRCC programs.

By prioritizing existing applications rather than introducing new arrivals, the government aims to balance immigration sustainability with humanitarian responsibility, providing a clearer path forward for thousands of people who already call Canada home.