Canada will welcome nearly 1.5 million immigrants over the next three years under a new Immigration Levels Plan announced on Wednesday.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s plan will see no increase in immigration in 2026 for the first time in a non-Covid year under the current Liberal government, which has been in power since 2015.
The plan will see the economic class grow to 301,250 new immigrants by 2026, exactly the same as in 2025 and higher than the 281,135 planned in 2024.
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The Federal High Skilled class will grow to 117,500 by 2026, as Canada looks to bring in record numbers of new immigrants through Express Entry.
The plan includes new annual and progressively increasing French-speaking permanent resident targets outside Quebec: 6% in 2024, 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026.
The Federal Business Class, made up mostly of Start-Up Visa newcomers, will also increase, to 6,000 newcomers by 2026.
Canada’s 2024 to 2026 Immigration Levels Plan
|
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
||
|
Overall Planned Permanent Resident Admissions |
465,000 |
485,000 |
500,000 |
500,000 |
|
|
Economic |
Federal High Skilled |
82,880 |
110,770 |
117,500 |
117,500 |
|
Federal Economic Public Policies |
25,000 |
3,000 |
– |
– |
|
|
Federal Business |
3,500 |
5,000 |
6,000 |
6,000 |
|
|
Economic Pilots: Caregivers; Agri-Food Pilot; Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot; Economic Mobility Pathways Project |
8,500 |
10,875 |
14,750 |
13,750 |
|
|
Atlantic Immigration Program |
8,500 |
6,500 |
8,500 |
8,500 |
|
|
Provincial Nominee Program |
105,500 |
110,000 |
120,000 |
120,000 |
|
|
Quebec Skilled Workers and Business |
See the Quebec immigration plan |
To be determined |
To be determined |
||
|
Total Economic |
266,210 |
281,135 |
301,250 |
301,250 |
|
|
Family |
Spouses, Partners and Children |
78,000 |
82,000 |
84,000 |
84,000 |
|
Parents and Grandparents |
28,500 |
32,000 |
34,000 |
34,000 |
|
|
Total Family |
106,500 |
114,000 |
118,000 |
118,000 |
|
|
Refugees and Protected Persons |
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad |
25,000 |
27,000 |
29,000 |
29,000 |
|
Resettled Refugees – Government-AssistedFootnote7 |
23,550 |
21,115 |
15,250 |
15,250 |
|
|
Resettled Refugees – Privately Sponsored |
27,505 |
27,750 |
28,250 |
28,250 |
|
|
Resettled Refugees – Blended Visa Office-Referred |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
|
Total Refugees and Protected Persons |
76,305 |
76,115 |
72,750 |
72,750 |
|
|
Humanitarian and Other |
Total Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other |
15,985 |
13,750 |
8,000 |
8,000 |
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Economic Class
The Provincial Nominee Program and Federal High Skilled categories will dominate the Economic Class newcomers.
PNP newcomers will account for 110,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 120,000 in 2025 and 120,000 in 2026.
Canada will also welcome 110,770, 117,500 and 117,500 in 2024, 2025 and 2026 respectively through the Federal High Skilled stream, mainly managed by Express Entry.
The stream includes newcomers through the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class programs.
The Atlantic Immigration Program will see 8,500 newcomers by 2026, lower that set out in last year’s plan.
Family Class
Canada’s Family Class category will welcome 114,000 newcomers in 2024, then 118,000 in 2025 and 118,000 by 2026.
The majority of family sponsorship newcomers will be spouses, partners and children, growing to 84,000 by 2026. However, there will also be room for a high number of parents and grandparents, at 34,000 by 2026.
Refugees
Canada will continue to welcome large numbers of refugees, including 76,115 in 2024, 75,750 in 2025 and 72,750 in 2026. This is unchanged from last year’s plan.
Miller Announces New Strategy
Miller’s announcement came after he revealed his plan to transform Canada’s immigration system yesterday, entitled ‘An Immigration System for Canada’s Future’.
He outlined key details of his strategy, including to incorporate housing, health care and infrastructure planning, along with other important services, into Canada’s immigration levels planning.
He also plans to create a new Chief International Talent Officer position, whose job it will be to align immigration programs and pathways with the labour market.
Further changes will be made to the international student system, with a Recognized Institutions Framework to be introduced in partnership with provinces to allow established colleges and universities to access faster Study Permit processing.
A new Francophone Immigration Policy will aim to build on the minority French-speaking population and increase its demographic weight, Miller said.
He also plans to build an advisory body made up of immigrants to inform program and policy improvements, and introduce measures to ensure an ‘equitable and sustainable’ response to humanitarian crises.
Finally, Miller also plans to make the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website more user-friendly.
