Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan holds permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 a year, while adding a time-limited measure that could give permanent residence to up to 200,000 people already living in the country.
IRCC published the plan on 5 November 2026. The headline targets repeat last year’s figures rather than cutting them again, but the composition underneath shifts: more space for provincial nominees and the Atlantic Immigration Program, a smaller federal high-skilled allocation than the peak years, and a one-off addition of admissions space outside the plan itself.
The permanent resident numbers, by category
These are the targets for each of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The figures are identical in all three years — this is a flat plan, not a declining one — with a low–high range of 352,500 to 422,000 around the 380,000 target.
| Category | Target per year | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Overall permanent resident admissions | 380,000 | 100% |
| Economic — total | 244,700 | 64.4% |
| Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 100,000 | |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 95,000 | |
| Federal Economic Pilots | 7,900 | |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 6,000 | |
| Rural Community Immigration Program | 5,500 | |
| Federal Business | 1,500 | |
| Family — total | 81,000 | 21.3% |
| Spouses, partners and children | 66,000 | |
| Parents and grandparents | 15,000 | |
| Refugees and Protected Persons — total | 49,300 | 13% |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 5,000 | 1.3% |
Two lines are worth reading twice. The Provincial Nominee Program at 95,000 is now almost the size of the entire federal high-skilled allocation — a shift from the years when Express Entry carried the economic program. And Quebec’s skilled worker and business targets are listed as “to be determined”, because Quebec sets its own levels and has not yet published them.
The temporary resident side
New temporary resident arrivals are targeted at 370,000 a year, within a range of 355,000 to 385,000. That splits into 220,000 workers and 150,000 students. Of the workers, 170,000 come through the International Mobility Program and 50,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
| Temporary residents | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall new arrivals | 370,000 | 370,000 | 370,000 |
| Workers — total | 220,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| International Mobility Program | 170,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 |
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Students | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
IRCC describes these as arrivals, not the total number of temporary residents in the country. The government’s stated goal is to shrink the temporary resident population overall while holding permanent resident admissions below 1% of Canada’s population beyond 2027 — which is why a flat intake still counts as a reduction in pressure.
The 200,000 spaces for people already in Canada
This is the part of the announcement with the most direct effect on individuals. A time-limited measure adds admissions space in 2027 for up to 200,000 people already living in Canada, in two cohorts of up to 100,000 each.
The workers cohort transitions in-Canada workers and their accompanying family members. Provinces and territories receive increased PNP allocations and nominate workers who meet their regional needs. They can also identify people who have already applied under select federal programs — the Atlantic Immigration Program and several programs now closed to new applications: the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and the home care worker programs.
The humanitarian cohort covers people already in Canada who have waited years for a decision. IRCC’s stated intent is to process all remaining applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, finalise applications from people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and process permanent residence applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents already in the country — with the aim of bringing the spouse and common-law partner class outside Quebec closer to 12 months.
This sits on top of one-time initiatives already announced in Budget 2025: accelerated transition of up to 115,000 protected persons in Canada and their in-Canada dependants, and 33,000 work permit holders, in 2026 and 2027.
Francophone immigration outside Quebec
The French-speaking permanent resident targets outside Quebec rise over the three years: 9.5% in 2027 (31,825 admissions), 10.5% in 2028 (35,175) and 12% in 2029 (40,200). The 12% figure by 2029 is the commitment the government has been working toward, and reaching it depends on Express Entry’s French-language category continuing to draw at the size it has this year.
What changes for a candidate
- If you are waiting on a provincial nomination: the PNP allocation is the largest it has been relative to federal high-skilled intake, and the workers cohort gives provinces an additional channel to nominate people already working in their jurisdiction.
- If you are in the Express Entry pool: the federal high-skilled allocation stays at 100,000, but selections inside it are being reorganised around high-wage occupations — the separate set of CRS changes that took effect on 3 November 2026 matter more to your odds than the headline target does.
- If you are a temporary resident hoping to stay: the plan does not create a new general pathway. The transition space is targeted at named cohorts and named inventories, and eligibility is set by the measures themselves, not by the levels plan.
- If you are sponsoring a spouse: the spouse, partner and children allocation holds at 66,000, but the humanitarian cohort is meant to absorb some of the existing backlog in that class outside Quebec.
What the plan does not do
A levels plan is a set of admission targets. It does not change eligibility rules for any program, it does not set CRS cut-offs, and it does not by itself create a pathway for a particular group. The category breakdowns tell you where the government intends to admit people; the program pages and ministerial instructions tell you whether you qualify.
Frequently asked questions
Is Canada cutting immigration in 2027?
Not in the headline numbers. Permanent resident admissions stay at 380,000 and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 for each of the three years. The reduction is in the total temporary resident population, which is targeted to fall as departures outpace new arrivals.
Does the 200,000 measure apply to anyone in Canada?
No. It is limited to two cohorts — workers identified through provincial nominations or select federal programs including several closed to new applications, and humanitarian cases already in the system. There is no general application stream.
Will Express Entry invitations increase?
The federal high-skilled allocation of 100,000 covers admissions, not invitations, and the number of invitations in any year depends on how IRCC runs its rounds. Check the draw tracker for the actual round-by-round figures.
When does the plan take effect?
The 2027–2029 plan governs admissions from 1 January 2027. The time-limited measure adds space to process applications in 2027.
Official sources
- Supplementary Information for the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan — the full category tables.
- Backgrounder: Building a stronger Canada through a well-managed, predictable immigration system — the policy rationale.
CRSPoint is independent of IRCC and the Government of Canada. This article reports published figures and is general information, not advice on an individual application.
