TR to PR Pathway

Canada's temporary resident to permanent resident (TR to PR) pathway is a limited-time immigration program that allows people already living in Canada on a valid temporary status to apply for permanent residence directly from within the country. Unlike traditional routes such as Express Entry, the TR to PR pathway does not require you to compete through a points-based draw. It is designed for people who have already built their lives in Canada and are ready to stay permanently.

This page explains how earlier TR to PR programs worked, what the 2026 In-Canada Workers Initiative offers, and how you can prepare your documents now so you are ready the moment a pathway opens.

What Is the TR to PR Pathway?

The TR to PR pathway is a federal immigration measure that gives temporary residents, including foreign workers and international graduates, a direct route to permanent residence without leaving Canada. IRCC has introduced this type of pathway twice: first in 2021, when 90,000 spots were available across six streams, and again in 2026 through the In-Canada Workers Initiative.

The six streams in the 2021 program were:

• Workers in Canada: health care
• Workers in Canada: essential, non-healthcare — the cap for this stream was reached
• Recent international graduates from a Canadian institution — the cap for this stream was reached
• French-speaking workers in Canada: health care
• French-speaking workers in Canada: essential, non-healthcare
• French-speaking recent international graduates from a Canadian institution

Three streams were open to both English- and French-speaking applicants. The other three were exclusively for French-speaking candidates and had no application cap.

The 2026 In-Canada Workers Initiative: What You Need to Know

On May 4, 2026, IRCC released new details about the In-Canada Workers Initiative, the federal government's current TR to PR measure. This one-time program will transition up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence across 2026 and 2027, with a target of at least 20,000 approvals in 2026 alone. Between January and February 2026, IRCC had already granted PR to 3,600 workers under this initiative.

The 2026 initiative differs from the 2021 pathway in an important way: rather than opening a new application portal, IRCC is accelerating existing PR applications from its current inventory. If you are eligible, you do not need to submit a new application. IRCC will process your file on its own.

Who Is Targeted by the 2026 Initiative?

IRCC is fast-tracking workers who have already applied for permanent residence through one of the following programs and have been living in a smaller community outside a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) for at least two years:

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
• Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
• Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
• Caregiver pilots
• Agri-Food Pilot

Major cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, fall within Census Metropolitan Areas and are excluded from this measure. If you live in a large urban centre, your best path to permanent residence remains a program such as Express Entry or the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Why Preparation Still Matters for Future TR to PR Pathways

The 2021 TR to PR pathway showed how quickly spots can disappear. Some streams filled on the very first day, and many applicants missed their chance because their documents were not ready in time. IRCC has signalled that additional TR to PR measures are possible beyond 2027. If a new pathway opens with an application portal, document-readiness will again be the deciding factor. The rest of this page helps you prepare for that scenario.

Who Is Eligible for the TR to PR Pathway?

Eligibility requirements vary depending on the specific stream or program. The 2021 TR to PR pathway had two main eligibility tracks for applicants inside Canada. Future pathways are expected to follow similar criteria.

Eligibility for the International Students Stream

To qualify as an international graduate, you must have completed a post-secondary program at a designated learning institution in Canada. Under the 2021 rules, applicants had to have finished their studies no earlier than January 2017 and be living in Canada with valid temporary resident status at the time of application. Meeting IRCC's language proficiency requirements was also mandatory. Applicants residing in Quebec were not eligible, as Quebec operates its own immigration system.

Eligibility for the Essential Occupations Stream

To qualify under the essential occupations stream, you need at least one year of full-time work experience in Canada in an eligible occupation. Workers must also hold valid temporary resident status and be currently employed in Canada at the time of application. The occupation you are working in at the time of application does not need to be the same as your qualifying work experience, as long as you meet the one-year threshold in an eligible role. Language requirements also apply.

Eligible Occupations Under the TR to PR Program

The 2021 TR to PR program divided occupations into two streams. Future pathways are expected to use a similar division based on TEER categories under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.

Essential Worker Occupations

The essential worker stream covered more than 95 occupations across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction, food production, transportation, and customer service. Applicants needed at least one year of recent full-time work experience in one or more of these roles to qualify. A full list of eligible NOC codes was published by IRCC at the time the program opened.

Health-Care Occupations

The health-care stream covered roles including registered nurses, physicians, pharmacists, medical laboratory technologists, social workers, and psychologists. Applicants needed at least one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in an eligible health-care position within the three years prior to applying. This stream had available spots remaining even after the essential worker and graduate streams had reached their caps.

How to Apply for the TR to PR Pathway

For the 2021 TR to PR pathway, all applications were submitted online through the IRCC secure account portal. The process required applicants to create or log in to an existing account, complete the online forms, and upload all supporting documents before submitting.

Because most streams operated on a first-come, first-served basis with hard intake caps, early submission was critical. Some streams in 2021 filled within hours of opening. IRCC has not yet confirmed the exact application process for any future TR to PR pathway, but the steps below reflect the standard approach used across IRCC economic programs:

1. Review the program rules and confirm you meet all eligibility requirements before the portal opens.
2. Gather all required documents in advance, since some items such as police certificates and language test results can take weeks or months to obtain.
3. Complete the online application forms through the IRCC portal.
4. Pay the required processing fees at the time of submission.
5. After submission, complete any biometrics, medical exams, or background checks that IRCC requests.
6. Respond promptly to any requests for additional documents to avoid delays.

Working with a licensed RCIC before the portal opens can help you identify eligibility gaps and ensure your documents are complete and organized before day one.

Required Documents for TR to PR Applications

Permanent residence applications under TR to PR pathways require a wide range of supporting documents. Collecting these items early is one of the most effective things you can do to prepare, since some documents take months to process and others have expiry dates that need to be managed carefully.

Hands organizing official immigration documents on a wooden desk with a pen and calendar, representing careful preparation.

TR to PR Document Checklist

Key Details: Language Tests, Police Certificates, Education, and Travel History

Language tests: Your results must come from an IRCC-approved testing organization and must still be valid on the day you submit your permanent residence application. Accepted tests include CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada, and TCF Canada. Results are normally valid for two years. If your results expire before you apply, you will need to sit a new test. Test centres fill up quickly when IRCC announces a new program, so do not wait.

Police certificates: You need a certificate for yourself and for each family member aged 18 or older from every country where each person has lived for at least six consecutive months in the last ten years. For your current country of residence, the certificate should typically have been issued within the past six months. The name of this document and the process to obtain it differ by country.

Education: If you are claiming foreign education, IRCC generally requires an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for each completed degree. An ECA is typically accepted for five years from the date of issue. For Canadian education, final transcripts and proof of graduation are usually sufficient.

Travel history: Most permanent residence applications require you to list all trips outside your country of origin or residence for the past ten years, or since you turned 18, typically on form IMM 5562. Keeping a personal travel log now makes this much easier to complete accurately later.

Costs, Fees, and Financial Requirements

How Much Does the TR to PR Program Cost?

The processing fees for the 2021 TR to PR pathway were approximately $825 for the principal applicant and $500 for the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). Additional costs may apply for medical exams, police certificates, biometrics, and language testing. These costs are separate from any professional fees if you choose to work with a licensed immigration consultant.

Settlement Fund Requirements

Demonstrating settlement funds is not a requirement for the TR to PR pathway. This is a notable advantage compared to programs such as Express Entry, where proof of financial resources is mandatory for Federal Skilled Worker applicants. Because TR to PR programs are designed for people already living and working in Canada, IRCC focuses on your employment history and status rather than your bank balance.

Job Offer Financial Requirement

A job offer is not required to apply under a TR to PR pathway. However, under the 2021 rules, you had to be currently employed in Canada at the time you submitted your application. Your current job did not need to be in the same occupation as your qualifying work experience. What mattered was that you had accumulated at least one year of experience in an eligible essential or health-care occupation.

TR to PR Application Processing Times

Processing times vary depending on the stream and the volume of applications received. In the 2021 program, applicants generally waited between six months and one year for a decision. Incomplete applications or requests for additional documentation extended timelines significantly, which is why submitting a complete, well-organized application from the start is important.

If your work permit is approaching its expiry date while your PR application is being processed, you may be eligible to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP). This allows you to continue working legally in Canada for any employer while IRCC reviews your application, without being tied to a specific employer or job.

Including Family Members in Your Application

You can include your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children in your TR to PR application. All family members must meet IRCC's health and security requirements. If your application is approved, your family members will receive permanent resident status alongside you, making the transition to permanent residence a single process for the whole family.

Including family members requires additional documents for each person, including passports, birth certificates, police certificates for those aged 18 or older, and travel history records. For dependent children, you will also need proof of their relationship to you and their current immigration status in Canada. See the official IRCC TR to PR program page for current details on dependent eligibility.

Application Caps and Intake Limits

TR to PR programs are designed with hard caps on the number of applications accepted. In the 2021 pathway, the English-language streams for essential workers and international graduates filled quickly, while the French-language streams had no application limits. The 2026 In-Canada Workers Initiative targets up to 33,000 workers across 2026 and 2027, with no separate application portal required.

What Happens When a Stream Reaches Its Intake Cap

Once a stream reaches its intake cap, it closes permanently. TR to PR pathways are time-limited by design, and once a quota is filled, IRCC does not re-open that stream for new applications. In the 2021 program, some streams filled on the very first day. Applicants who did not have their language test results, police certificates, or employment letters ready missed their opportunity entirely. This is the most important reason to prepare your documents well in advance of any announced opening date.

If you are currently holding a Provincial Nominee Program nomination or have an active application through one of the eligible 2026 pathways and live outside a major urban centre, check with a licensed RCIC to confirm whether your application may already be in the accelerated queue.

Open Work Permit While Your TR to PR Application Is in Process

If your work permit is expiring while your permanent residence application is being reviewed, you may be eligible to apply for an open work permit. Unlike an employer-specific work permit, an open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada during the processing period. This gives you employment flexibility and ensures you can maintain your status legally while waiting for a decision.

Applicants residing in Quebec are not eligible for federal TR to PR programs. Quebec operates its own immigration system, and temporary residents in the province must apply through Quebec's immigration programs. If you live outside Quebec and your application is approved, you are free to settle anywhere in Canada as a permanent resident, including provinces and territories outside the one where you initially worked or studied.

For eligibility requirements and the application process, visit the IRCC open work permit page for TR to PR applicants. You can also learn more about Bridging Open Work Permits on the SEP Immigration website.

How Long Are TR to PR Programs Available?

TR to PR programs are temporary measures, not permanent immigration pathways. The 2021 program closed when streams reached their caps. The 2026 In-Canada Workers Initiative is a one-time measure that will run through 2027. Beyond that, IRCC has not announced additional TR to PR programs, though the federal government has signalled that it intends to continue expanding pathways for temporary residents already contributing to the Canadian economy.

If a new TR to PR pathway opens in the future, it will almost certainly include an intake cap and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The applicants who succeed will be those who had every document ready on opening day.

Tips to Prepare Your TR to PR Documents in Advance

Preparing your documents before a program opens is the single most effective step you can take to improve your chances. Here is how to approach it systematically.

Scan and organize everything now. Create clear, readable scans of each document and store them in well-named folders using a consistent naming pattern such as "DocumentType_LastName_FirstName_YYYY-MM-DD.pdf". For example: "PoliceCertificate_Doe_Jane_2025-06-01.pdf". This makes it easy to locate and upload the correct files under time pressure.

Watch validity periods carefully. Language test results are normally valid for two years. ECAs are typically accepted for five years from the date of issue. Police certificates for your current country of residence usually need to have been issued within the past six months. Your passport must remain valid throughout processing and until you complete your landing. If anything is close to expiry, plan your renewal now.

Request strong employer reference letters. Employer letters play a central role in proving work experience. A strong letter includes the employer's full contact information, your job title, start and end dates, work location, hours per week, salary and benefits, and a clear description of your main duties in your own words, not copied from a NOC description. Supporting it with pay stubs, T4 slips, Notices of Assessment, and a signed contract makes the file considerably stronger.

Follow IRCC rules for translations. Any document not in English or French requires a certified translation or a translation accompanied by a sworn affidavit from the translator, along with a scan of the original or a certified copy. Family members may not act as translators. If you expect to submit many documents in another language, start organizing the translation work early.

Use a letter of explanation when needed. If a required document cannot be obtained, or if there are gaps or irregularities in your history, a short letter of explanation can prevent delays. Describe what happened, what you did to resolve the issue, and attach any proof of your efforts such as emails, receipts, or official replies.

Review your full application package before submitting. Confirm that all required documents are included, nothing has expired, all scans are legible, and passport copies include every page showing stamps or visas. A final review before submission reduces the risk of requests for additional documentation and processing delays.

Check If You Are Eligible

Each TR to PR stream has different eligibility requirements, and the rules for future programs have not yet been published. To find out whether you may qualify and what steps to take now, contact SEP Immigration for a personalized assessment.

Work with a Licensed RCIC

Sepehr Falahati (RCIC #R533959) has helped applicants from nearly 20 countries become permanent residents of Canada. Working with a CICC-licensed immigration consultant means your documents are reviewed for completeness before the portal opens, your eligibility is confirmed against the actual program criteria, and your application is organized to meet IRCC's standards from day one. Start with a free assessment to understand your options before the next TR to PR pathway opens.