Permanent residence pathway for out-of-status construction workers in Canada
IRCC has announced a forthcoming regularization pathway for out-of-status construction workers
First announced on March 7, 2025, this pathway will aim to offer construction workers who lost their status an avenue to regain temporary status in Canada, and apply for Canadian permanent residence.
The government hopes that this pathway will enable 6,000 construction workers to continue to work and provide critical labour to Canada's construction sector in the long-term.
Successful candidates through this new pathway will receive Canadian permanent residence, and an interim work authorization while their application is being processed.
Overview
On March 7, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) first announced their intention to create a regularization pathway for out-of-status construction workers regain legal status in Canada and achieve permanent residency.
This pathway will aim to process the permanent residence (PR) applications of 6,000 undocumented construction workers who are currently in Canada.
Staying in Canada beyond the duration of your legal status is a crime. Regularization pathways allow foreign nationals in Canada, whose temporary resident status (work permit, study permit, or visitor visa) has expired to apply for and receive a new permanent or temporary status in the country, regaining lawful resident status.
At this time IRCC has not yet revealed a start-date, nor basic eligibility requirements for candidates who wish to apply through this program. The department is expected to reveal more details closer to the launch of this new pathway.
This page will be updated as more information is released on this new pathway.
Rationale
Construction workers are particularly important to Canada's labour market due to the increased demand for, and lower supply of housing units in the country. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has predicted that the country will need to build an additional 6 million homes by 2030 to restore housing affordability in Canada.
However, Canada's construction sectors have long been plagued by consistent labour shortages, particularly in metropolitan areas.
These persistent shortages suggest that the country is currently unable to replenish its stock of construction workers naturally, and indicates the need for immigration measures to welcome qualified and professionally-trained foreign nationals to aid Canada's construction sector.
Roughly 23% of all general contractors and residential builders in Canada are immigrants.
For these reasons, IRCC has chosen to create this new pathway for construction workers, which will build on previous successes that IRCC has had with pilot programs for out-of-status construction workers.
The out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area public policy allowed 1,365 construction workers (and their dependants) to transition from being temporary residents who were out-of-status, to Canadian permanent residents.
Contact the Cohen Immigration Law Firm for Assistance
Would you like to apply for permanent residence through the new pathway for out-of-status construction workers? The Cohen Immigration Law firm can help. Cohen Immigration Law offers over 45 years of expertise in assisting workers and employers navigate Canadian immigration regulations.