Automated update. This note was compiled automatically from the official sources linked below, and its figures and dates were matched to those sources by software. It has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Read the source itself before relying on it, and take advice from a Canadian immigration lawyer or licensed consultant on your own case.
| Published | 5 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada |
| Permanent residents | 380,000 a year (range 352,500 to 422,000) |
| New temporary arrivals | 370,000 a year (range 355,000 to 385,000) |
| Time-limited measure | Up to 200,000 people already in Canada, in 2027 |
| French-speaking admissions outside Quebec | 9.5% in 2027, 10.5% in 2028, 12% in 2029 |
What changed
IRCC released the details of the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan on 5 November 2026, with a backgrounder explaining its aims. Canada sets these targets every year for the following three years. IRCC describes this plan as stabilising targets, with the same headline numbers in all three years.
The new element is a time-limited measure that gives additional admissions space in 2027 for people already living in Canada. IRCC also says the plan increases planned admissions under the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program. These are IRCC's targets and statements, and Lexverse has not independently verified them.
The targets
| Category | Annual target | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Overall permanent residents | 380,000 | 352,500 to 422,000 |
| Economic | 244,700 | 230,000 to 270,000 |
| Family | 81,000 | 76,000 to 89,000 |
| Refugees and Protected Persons | 49,300 | 42,000 to 55,000 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 5,000 | 4,500 to 8,000 |
| New temporary resident arrivals | 370,000 | 355,000 to 385,000 |
Within the economic category, Federal High Skilled, which includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class, is set at 100,000 a year. The Provincial Nominee Program is set at 95,000 a year. Quebec's skilled worker and business numbers are shown as to be determined, because Quebec selects those immigrants under the Canada-Quebec Accord.
Among temporary arrivals, the 220,000 workers divide into 170,000 under the International Mobility Program and 50,000 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The student target is 150,000, which the backgrounder describes as up to that number.
The time-limited measure
The backgrounder says the measure will help up to 200,000 people already living in Canada transition to permanent residence through two cohorts.
- Workers cohort: up to 100,000 people and their families. Provinces and territories would receive additional Provincial Nominee Program allocations. They could also identify workers who have already applied under the Atlantic Immigration Program or under programs closed to new applications, including the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs.
- Humanitarian cohort: up to 100,000 people. IRCC's stated goal is to process remaining applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, and to finalise applications from people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. It also covers spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents already living in Canada.
IRCC says processing those family applications will significantly help bring wait times closer to 12 months for the spouse or common-law partner class for people destined for provinces and territories outside Quebec. The measure is in addition to one-time initiatives for up to 115,000 Protected Persons in Canada and their in-Canada dependants and 33,000 work permit holders in 2026 and 2027.
What is and is not counted
IRCC's footnotes limit what the temporary resident targets measure. No targets are set for visitors arriving with temporary resident visas or electronic travel authorisations, permit extensions, in-Canada study or work permit applications, or asylum claimants. Post-Graduation Work Permits are not included, because IRCC treats them as an extension or change of status. Seasonal workers who must enter and leave within the same calendar year are also excluded from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program targets.
On the permanent resident side, the backgrounder notes that admissions include people already working or studying in Canada, not only new arrivals.
What to watch next
- Later years: the 2028 and 2029 figures are notional. IRCC says they will be confirmed or adjusted, and its temporary resident table says this will happen by 1 November of next year.
- Quebec: IRCC says Quebec's plan is to be tabled in fall 2026, and the French-speaking admission targets may need updating once it is.
- Express Entry: the backgrounder says the reforms include changes to the federal economic programs and the Comprehensive Ranking System, as well as new measures for high-wage occupations, without giving details or dates.
- Time-limited measure: the two documents do not set out application steps or opening dates.
Official sources and documents
- Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 5 November 2026
- Building a stronger Canada through a well-managed, predictable immigration system (backgrounder) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 5 November 2026
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