The programme would allow those without documents to apply for permanent residency, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told the news outlet.

They would include “who entered the country legally, as temporary workers or international students, and then remained here after their visas expired.” The government planned to present a proposal to cabinet in the spring.

“There are an estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people living in Canada without valid documents,” he said.

Over the next three years, Canada has aimed to welcome 51,615 refugees who were most in need of protection through the Government-Assisted Refugees programme.

It includes resettlement efforts for religious and ethnic minorities, women and girls in precarious situations, survivors of torture and human trafficking, Rohingya refugees and human rights defenders.