Ottawa: Canada’s new Immigration Levels Plan aims to stabilise temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 annually, including 220,000 workers and up to 150,000 international students each year in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Under the federal Budget 2026 and the new Immigration Levels Plan, Canada intends to welcome up to 622,000 new permanent residents (PRs) by the end of 2027 through regular immigration admissions and a one-time transition initiative for temporary residents.
According to information published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on the official government website, the measures announced on November 5 aim to help 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada transition to permanent residency by the end of 2027. The government has also set a target of 422,000 new permanent resident admissions in 2027.
Of the 200,000 transition places, 100,000 will be reserved for skilled workers through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), in collaboration with provinces and territories.
More than 64% of permanent resident admissions over the next three years will be allocated to economic immigration, with the government focusing on attracting and retaining skilled workers to address labour shortages.
The plan also aims to increase the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents admitted outside Quebec to 9.5% in 2027, 10.5% in 2028 and 12% in 2029.
Of the 220,000 worker places planned for 2027, 50,000 will be allocated to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers under this programme are required to obtain Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), which demonstrate that no suitable Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the job.
The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan seeks to stabilise immigration while meeting Canada’s labour market needs. It sets annual targets of 370,000 new temporary residents and 380,000 permanent resident admissions for each of the three years.
The federal government says the plan is designed to bring immigration to sustainable levels while fulfilling humanitarian commitments and strengthening coordination with provinces and territories to meet workforce requirements.
The government has also pledged to complete outstanding admissions under two one-time initiatives announced in 2025, which included plans to grant permanent residency to up to 115,000 protected persons and 33,000 temporary workers already in Canada.
