Immigration Minister Lena Diab has announced that several provincial immigration nominee programs will receive a late-year increase in the number of slots available for permanent residency nominations.
Diab shared the news with provincial and territorial ministers on Wednesday during a ministerial forum, responding to calls from subnational governments to restore spaces that were sharply reduced earlier this year. The national allotment for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was cut in half from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025, prompting widespread concern among provinces.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Diab explained that there was some “slippage” in the federal government’s broader immigration targets, which allowed her to reallocate unused spaces to the PNP.
The program enables provinces and territories to nominate individuals for permanent residency based on local labour market needs, targeting applicants with skills or education that fill economic gaps.
Allotments for 2026 will be outlined in the upcoming immigration levels plan, expected in the coming weeks. Diab reiterated that her mandate is to reduce overall immigration numbers, even as the federal government works to address regional labour shortages through targeted programs like the PNP.
