Canada Permanent Resident Targets Under the Immigration Levels Plan

(CANADA) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has set permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year from 2026 through 2028, holding the line after earlier plans called for 395,000 in 2025 and 365,000 in 2027.

The 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, announced on November 5, 2025 as part of the federal budget, shifts the country’s immigration mix toward economic immigrants, cuts temporary resident inflows and adds one-time transitions for workers already in Canada and protected persons.

Under the plan, economic immigrants will rise to 64% of total admissions by 2028, while family reunification and refugee and humanitarian admissions remain part of the annual intake. The government framed the change as a move toward “well-managed, sustainable growth” as housing, healthcare, transit and other services face pressure.

From Post-Pandemic Expansion to a Slower Pace

That marks a sharp turn from the expansion that defined the years after the pandemic. Canada had aimed for 500,000 permanent residents by 2025, but later pulled back after rapid population growth collided with tight housing markets and stretched infrastructure.

Permanent resident admissions topped 400,000 a year from 2021-2024. The 2024-2026 plan, released on November 1, 2023, had targeted 485,000 permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025-2026 to support economic growth.

Pressure built as the temporary resident population expanded and the non-permanent share rose above 7%. Vacancy rates fell below 2% in major cities, and intake outpaced construction, with housing development running at 60-70 units for every 100 new residents in 2024-2025.

By October 2024, IRCC had already cut its permanent resident targets to 395,000 for 2025, 380,000 for 2026 and 365,000 for 2027, while also imposing the first caps on temporary residents. The November 2025 update then fixed the permanent resident target at 380,000 through 2028.

Early 2025 Slowdown and Population Pressures

Early 2025 figures showed the slowdown taking hold. Canada recorded 104,256 new permanent residents in the first quarter, the lowest first-quarter total since 2021, while the number of non-permanent residents fell by more than 61,000.

Some provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, posted population declines during that period. The policy shift also responded to voter concerns in provinces such as Ontario and Alberta as net migration slowed population growth in the first quarter of 2025.

Permanent Resident Admissions by Category

Within the new annual target, economic immigrants take the largest share. The plan sets that category at 239,800 (63%) in 2026, rising to 244,700 (64%) in 2027 and 244,700 (64%) again in 2028.

Family reunification accounts for 84,000 (22%) in 2026, then 81,000 (21%) in 2027 and 81,000 (21%) in 2028. Refugees, protected persons and humanitarian admissions are set at 56,200 (15%) in 2026, then 54,300 (14%) in 2027 and 54,300 (14%) in 2028.

The Immigration Levels Plan also raises francophone admissions outside Quebec. That stream reaches 30,267 in 2026, with targets rising to 10% by 2028 and 10.5% outside Quebec by 2028 in later program planning.

Temporary Resident Cuts

Temporary residents face the steepest reductions. New temporary arrivals fall from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026, then 370,000 in 2027 and 370,000 in 2028.

International student permits account for much of that decline. The plan sets 155,000 (-50%) new international student arrivals in 2026, down from 305,900 in 2025, after 437,000 permits were issued in 2025, itself a 10% drop.

Temporary workers also decline under the plan. Canada will admit 230,000 (-37%) temporary workers in 2026, down from 367,750 in 2025, followed by 220,000 in 2027 and 220,000 in 2028.

The reductions aim to shrink the temporary population to under 5% of Canada’s total by the end of 2027. They also reflect a tighter approach to low-wage Labor Market Impact Assessment streams while preserving or expanding some high-skilled, LMIA-exempt routes such as intra-company transfers.

More Pathways for People Already in Canada

For applicants already in Canada, the plan offers more direct openings. More than 40% of permanent residents in 2025 were expected to come from temporary residents already living in the country, and the new framework deepens that approach.

One-time transitions stand out in that shift. Up to 33,000 temporary workers are slated to gain permanent resident pathways in 2026-2027, with attention on senior managers and workers who are losing Arranged Employment points.

The government also set space for 115,000 protected persons to move toward permanent residence in 2026-2027. Those measures focus on people already in Canada with tax records and community ties.

Provincial Programs and Regional Priorities

Provincial immigration programs remain central to the economic strategy. Provincial Nominee Program allocations are growing, giving provinces a larger role in selecting economic immigrants tied to local labour needs.

That comes after a 2025 overhaul in which allocations were cut in half and 75% of nominees had to be in-Canada candidates. The 2026 approach keeps that direction, with provinces steering nominations toward healthcare, trades and construction.

Alberta tightened one of those routes on January 1, 2026. Under changes to the Rural Renewal Stream, in-Canada applicants must hold valid work permits rather than maintained status, TEER 4/5 workers must live in Alberta, and endorsements now last 12 months.

Ottawa has also broadened selected federal pathways. On February 18, 2026, Minister Lena Diab announced faster immigration routes for skilled military recruits, researchers, senior managers, pilots, aircraft mechanics and inspectors.

Those additions build on category-based Express Entry draws already targeting the Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program candidates, French proficiency, healthcare and education. The emphasis rewards applicants with Canadian work or study histories, sector-specific skills or stronger French-language ability.

Two new pilots that launched in 2026 push the same regional strategy. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot let local organizations recommend permanent resident candidates with job offers, aiming to fill labour gaps outside the largest urban centres.

Other measures have tightened or redirected pathways. The Start-Up Visa stopped accepting new applications on January 1, 2026, as Canada moved toward a more targeted entrepreneur pilot.

Changes Beyond the Federal Intake Plan

Changes outside the federal intake plan also affect applicants and employers. Ontario barred employers from requiring “Canadian work experience” in job postings and now requires disclosure when artificial intelligence is used in hiring.

Graduate students received one concession. Starting January 1, 2026, they no longer need provincial attestation letters for post-graduation work permits.

Another interim measure has ended. The first-generation citizenship limit interim policy expired on December 15, 2025.

Canada has also kept in place some Indigenous-specific measures first announced on October 10, 2024. They give members of U.S. tribes and Manitoba Métis access to open work permits for up to three years, study permits and fee exemptions when they have Canadian family anchors.

Impacts on Applicants, Employers and Institutions

For overseas applicants, the math has become tighter. Fewer permanent resident spots overall, combined with a stronger preference for in-Canada candidates, means competition intensifies for people applying from abroad.

The occupations most closely aligned with the government’s intake priorities include healthcare, trades, technology and French-speaking roles. Applicants linked to those categories, or to provincial nominations, stand to fare better under the current system.

For employers, the policy creates a mixed picture. Low-wage sectors that relied on temporary foreign labour face stricter LMIA rules, while some higher-skilled streams continue to expand under the International Mobility Program.

That balance carries economic risks as well as housing relief. Construction alone needs more than 50,000+ workers annually, and healthcare shortages remain acute even as the system shifts toward economic immigrants and regional selection.

Universities and colleges are also exposed to the student cuts. Fewer temporary residents could reduce university revenues by 20-30%, raising the prospect of program reductions after years in which many institutions leaned heavily on international tuition.

At the same time, the government expects a more stable permanent resident intake to support 1-2% GDP growth through better integration of skilled newcomers. The broader goal is to align immigration with housing and service capacity rather than return to the pace of 2021-2024.

By 2028, the target is to reach 100 housing units per 100 newcomers, a benchmark that illustrates how closely the Immigration Levels Plan now ties immigration to domestic capacity. That target sits at the center of the government’s argument for slower, steadier admissions.

The result is a system that still leans heavily on immigration, but with a narrower gate. Canada remains committed to permanent resident admissions of 380,000 a year, yet it is increasingly reserving those places for economic immigrants, provincial nominees, French speakers and people already building lives inside the country.