Federal permanent residence processing update
IRCC Adds Processing Space for Ukraine and Hong Kong PR Backlogs
IRCC will use additional 2027 admission space to process remaining applications under the closed Ukraine Family Reunification and Hong Kong permanent residence pathways.
What was announced
IRCC announced on November 10, 2026 that additional permanent resident admission space in 2027 will be used to process all remaining applications under two closed pathways. IRCC expects the remaining Hong Kong permanent residence pathway applications to result in up to 32,000 admissions and the remaining Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applications to result in up to 18,800 admissions.
The Hong Kong permanent residence pathways stopped accepting new applications on August 31, 2026. The Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway stopped accepting new applications on October 22, 2024. This processing measure does not reopen either pathway, create a new application category or allow a person who missed the original deadline to submit a new application.
IRCC says the applicants covered by this measure are already living and working in Canada. The additional admission space is intended to reduce existing inventories and process these applications faster. IRCC also states that applicants do not need to take any special action or contact the department to be considered under the measure.
What this may mean for applicants
This announcement is relevant only to people who already submitted an application under one of the named pathways. Existing applicants should keep their contact information current, monitor their IRCC account and email, and respond promptly to any request for documents, medical examinations or other information. It does not provide a new route for people who did not apply before the pathways closed.