The Canadian Armed Forces says more than 2,400 permanent residents have applied to join the military since the beginning of November.
The unexpected boon came weeks after the Armed Forces expanded its recruitment pool to include permanent residents who don't have training from a foreign military.
While military officials say they are pleasantly surprised by the influx of applications, which comes in the middle of a recruiting crisis, they are also counselling patience.
These applicants could have to wait up to two years for their security screenings to be complete before they can put on a uniform.
The wait time for Canadian citizens who apply for a career in the military is about eight months.
The military says it is working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to try to speed up the process by sharing information.