No new PR window has opened in Canada yet; Punjab families must beware of agents, cautions KBS Sidhu
Shiromani Punjab Forum seeks joint English–Punjabi FAQs from the NRI Affairs Department and the High Commission of Canada
Chandigarh, 7 November 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
No application window has yet opened under Canada’s newly announced plan to grant permanent residence (PR) to up to two lakh temporary residents, and families in Punjab should not pay any agent who claims otherwise. This caution comes from KBS Sidhu, retired IAS officer, former Special Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, and Convener of the Shiromani Punjab Forum.
The Canadian federal Budget was presented on Thursday, 5 November. Mainstream media and social media portals have since hailed it as a Diwali gift for temporary residents in Canada who had no assured path to PR or citizenship. KBS Sidhu said that although the details are not yet available and no portal is open, unscrupulous agents are already active. Many of them claim to represent qualified immigration lawyers based in Canada.
KBS Sidhu said that only the following is available in the public domain so far:
■ The Budget proposes that up to 2,00,000 temporary residents already in Canada may become permanent residents by the end of 2027, over and above the regular annual target of 3,80,000.
■ The places are split into two cohorts of about one lakh each: a workers cohort and a humanitarian cohort.
■ The workers cohort will run largely through additional provincial nominations. It will also cover applications already filed under select federal programmes, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and certain pilots now closed to new applicants.
■ The humanitarian cohort covers pending Hong Kong and Ukraine pathways, humanitarian and compassionate cases, and, as reported, spouses and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents already living in Canada.
■ Eligibility criteria, language requirements, occupation lists and the application process have not been released. Implementation funding begins only in 2027–28.
■ Canada’s immigration department has itself described the measure as additional processing capacity for people already covered by existing pathways, not an open call for new applications.
“This is a drive to clear Canada’s pending files,” KBS Sidhu said. “Those most likely to benefit already have a PR application on file, or a spousal sponsorship pending inside Canada. Anyone who has not applied should not part with money on the promise of a ‘two lakh PR scheme’ that, as of today, has no form and no portal.”
KBS Sidhu said the Forum is not offering immigration advice, which only authorised professionals can give. This is a good-faith note of caution for people in India and Canada, especially in Punjab, who may be actively misled by agents who exploit the gap before official information is out. Families should check that anyone offering help in Canada is a licensed lawyer or a registered immigration consultant whose name appears on the official regulator’s public register.
He appealed to the Punjab NRI Affairs Department to publish a set of frequently asked questions in English and Punjabi, in conjunction with the High Commission of Canada, so that doubts are dispelled early and mischief is nipped in the bud. Punjab, he said, has paid dearly for fake admission letters in the past and must not pay again for fake PR promises.
For further information:
KBS Sidhu, Convener, Shiromani Punjab Forum
Email: kbs.sidhu@gmail.com · Phone: 7837-001-001
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