Immigration minister says he's working on a faster path to permanence for temporary residents

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says hisgovernment is preparing to reinstate a program that would help to speed up the process of turningnewcomersin Canada under temporary permits into permanent residents.

We are looking right now at the best path forward to create a permanent pathway for temporary residents, he told CBC's The House in an interview airing this weekend.

A previous program called the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway or TR to PR was put in place last year for eight months after COVID-19 lockdowns shut the border to newcomers to prevent the spread of the virus.

It gave 90,000essential workers, front-line health care workers and international students like Kushdeep Singhan accelerated path to permanent status.

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser says his department is working on a new path forward to create a permanent pathway for temporary residents. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Singh arrived in 2019 to study business administration at Norquest College in Edmonton. The temporary TR to PR program was announced just as he was preparing to write his final exams.

When I first came to Canada I thought, 'It's gonna take almost about four years.' Two years of my studies then two years of waiting for my PR application, he said.

Instead, the approval came through in less than a year.

And I told my mom. She was so, so happy, he said. I think she was happy because I know how hard she also worked for me, like all my journey since I came here and ...how she also sacrifices, like sending me away from her, so that was a good moment.