On This Page You Will Find:
- Overview of Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan
- Sharp reductions in temporary resident admissions
- Breakdown of permanent resident categories and targets
- One-time initiatives for protected persons and workers
- Fiscal, economic, and regional implications
Overview: Toward Sustainable Immigration Levels
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, a comprehensive strategy aimed at stabilising Canada’s immigration intake after years of record growth.
The plan outlines a sharp reduction in new temporary resident arrivals and a steady cap on permanent immigration at 380,000 per year. IRCC describes this as a shift toward sustainable immigration levels – balancing the needs of Canada’s economy with growing concerns about housing, infrastructure, and integration capacity.
At the heart of the plan is a 45 per cent cut in new temporary arrivals, including international students and foreign workers, while maintaining Canada’s long-standing humanitarian and family reunification priorities.
Sharp Reduction in Temporary Resident Admissions
The most striking element of the 2026–2028 plan is the deep reduction in new temporary resident entries, designed to bring the temporary population down to less than 5 per cent of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027.
This category covers new arrivals under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, the International Mobility Program (IMP), and for international students.
Temporary Resident Admissions Targets (2026–2028)
| Category | 2026 Target | 2027 Target | 2028 Target |
| Overall Temporary Residents | 385,000 | 370,000 | 370,000 |
| Workers (Total) | 230,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| – International Mobility Program (IMP)* | 170,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 |
| – Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW)** | 60,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
Key Points:
- The total number of new temporary residents will fall from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026 – a 43 per cent year-over-year decrease.
- The number of new study permits will drop by nearly half, signalling a major shift in the management of international education.
- The TFW Program will see the sharpest proportional decline, with a 17 per cent reduction between 2026 and 2027.
- Post-Graduation Work Permits are not included, as IRCC counts them as changes of status rather than new arrivals.
IRCC says these reductions will “restore control and predictability” while targeting labour and study programs to areas where they are most needed – including industries affected by tariffs and regions struggling with worker shortages.
Critics, however, caution that such cuts could deepen labour gaps in sectors like agriculture, food processing, construction, and elder care, where reliance on temporary workers is significant.
Permanent Resident Admissions: Stability and Strategic Focus
While temporary immigration is being scaled back, permanent resident admissions will remain steady at 380,000 annually between 2026 and 2028. The focus shifts from quantity to quality, with a growing share of economic immigrants and a stronger regional approach through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Permanent Resident Admissions Targets (2026–2028)
| Immigration Category | 2026 Target | 2027 Target | 2028 Target |
| Overall Permanent Residents | 380,000 | 380,000 | 380,000 |
| Economic Class | 239,800 | 244,700 | 244,700 |
| – Federal High Skilled (Express Entry)** | 109,000 | 111,000 | 111,000 |
| – Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)** | 91,500 | 92,500 | 92,500 |
| – Federal Business (SUV, Self-Employed)** | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| – Economic Pilots (Caregiver, Agri-Food, Community, EMPP)** | 8,175 | 8,775 | 8,775 |
| – Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Family Reunification | 84,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 |
| – Spouses, Partners & Children | 69,000 | 66,000 | 66,000 |
| – Parents & Grandparents | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Refugees & Protected Persons | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 6,900 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| French-speaking Outside Quebec | 9% (30,267) | 9.5% (31,825) | 10.5% (35,175) |
Highlights:
- Economic admissions make up 64 per cent of the total by 2027–2028, driven by Express Entry and PNP allocations.
- Family class stays stable at around 21–22 per cent, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to reunification.
- Humanitarian and refugee programs remain strong at 13 per cent of admissions, keeping Canada a global leader in protection and resettlement.
- Francophone immigration targets outside Quebec rise to 10.5 per cent by 2028, advancing the federal goal of 12 per cent by 2029.
Economic Immigration
The economic class remains the cornerstone of Canada’s immigration system. Annual admissions will rise from 239,800 in 2026 to 244,700 in 2027 and 2028, ensuring a consistent supply of skilled talent aligned with labour market needs.
Federal High Skilled (Express Entry)
Targets: 109,000 in 2026; 111,000 in 2027 and 2028.
This category includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class – all managed through Express Entry. It is Canada’s primary tool for attracting skilled professionals in demand across multiple sectors, including health care, technology, and trades.
The ranges (85,000–122,000) provide flexibility for adjustments based on labour market data and regional priorities.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Targets: 91,500 in 2026; 92,500 in 2027 and 2028.
The PNP continues to grow as Canada’s most regionally responsive program. It allows provinces and territories to nominate immigrants with skills that fit their local economies, such as health care workers in Atlantic Canada or construction professionals in Alberta.
Federal Business (Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Persons)
Targets: 500 admissions per year, with a range of 250–1,000.
This stream focuses on entrepreneurs who can launch innovative businesses and contribute to Canada’s competitiveness. While modest in scale, the federal business category plays a key role in fostering innovation-driven economic growth.
Economic Pilots (Caregiver, Agri-Food, Community, and Economic Mobility Pathways)
Targets: 8,175 in 2026; 8,775 in 2027 and 2028.
These pilot programs target specific needs:
- Caregiver pilots address home care and child care shortages.
- Agri-Food pilots support the agricultural and food processing industries.
- Community Immigration pilots help smaller towns and rural areas attract and retain newcomers.
- The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot connects refugees with employers seeking skilled workers.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Targets: 4,000 per year, with a range of 3,000–5,000.
This program continues to strengthen population and labour growth in Atlantic provinces such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where immigration is essential to demographic renewal.
Quebec Skilled Workers and Business
Figures are to be determined, as Quebec sets its own annual immigration plan under the Canada–Quebec Accord. Quebec remains responsible for selecting its economic immigrants independently.
Family Reunification
The family class remains central to Canada’s immigration policy, promoting social cohesion and long-term settlement success.
Spouses, Partners, and Children
Targets: 69,000 in 2026; 66,000 in 2027 and 2028.
This stream enables Canadians and permanent residents to reunite with their immediate family members. Stable targets reflect IRCC’s goal to maintain consistent processing and prevent backlogs.
Parents and Grandparents
Targets: 15,000 annually, within a range of 13,000–19,000.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows family sponsorship of older relatives, providing emotional and practical support for newcomers. While demand for this program remains high, the government is managing intake to balance fairness with processing capacity.
Overall, family admissions will total 84,000 in 2026, falling slightly to 81,000 in 2027 and 2028, representing roughly 21–22 per cent of total immigration.
Refugees and Protected Persons
Canada continues to uphold its humanitarian commitments, maintaining annual refugee and protected person admissions at 49,300 per year from 2026 through 2028. This accounts for approximately 13 per cent of total immigration.
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad
Targets: 20,000 annually, within a range of 17,000–30,000.
This category includes individuals granted refugee protection in Canada and their eligible family members abroad.
Resettled Refugees – Government Assisted
Targets: 13,250 per year, within a range of 10,000–15,500.
This long-standing program resettles vulnerable refugees identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other partners.
Resettled Refugees – Blended Visa Office Referred
Targets: 50 annually.
A partnership between the government and private sponsors, this stream assists refugees whose cases are jointly supported by both parties.
Resettled Refugees – Privately Sponsored
Targets: 16,000 annually.
This program empowers community groups and organisations to sponsor refugees directly. Private sponsorship remains one of Canada’s most recognised humanitarian initiatives, often resulting in strong community integration.
Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other
Beyond traditional refugee and family categories, Canada allocates spaces for humanitarian and compassionate admissions to respond to exceptional global and domestic situations.
Targets: 6,900 in 2026, falling to 5,000 in 2027 and 2028.
Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds
This stream covers individuals already in Canada who would face hardship if required to leave. Typical cases involve people with strong family or community ties but no formal pathway to permanent residence.
Other Humanitarian Programs
These admissions (ranging from 4,000–8,000 in 2026) include responses to specific crises, such as those in Ukraine, Sudan, and Hong Kong. The government retains flexibility to increase numbers if new humanitarian situations arise.
One-Time Initiatives: Recalibrating the System
In addition to the baseline targets, IRCC has announced two major one-time measures to regularise existing residents and support integration:
- Regularising 115,000 Protected Persons in Canada
- Over two years, IRCC will grant permanent status to approximately 115,000 individuals who already have protected person status.
- These individuals are not considered temporary residents but are unable to return home due to conflict or persecution.
- The initiative will expedite their path to full integration and citizenship while fulfilling Canada’s humanitarian obligations.
- Transitioning 33,000 Temporary Workers to Permanent Status
- A second one-time initiative will grant permanent residency to up to 33,000 work permit holders in 2026 and 2027.
- It targets workers who have “established strong roots”, pay taxes, and contribute meaningfully to their local economies.
Together, these actions aim to reduce pressure on temporary streams while offering stability and fairness to those already settled in Canada.
Economic, Regional, and Humanitarian Balancing
The plan reflects a rebalancing of Canada’s immigration architecture. The government argues that sustainability requires a slowdown in short-term growth while maintaining long-term competitiveness.
Economic Goals:
- Fill critical labour gaps in healthcare, trades, technology, and construction.
- Strengthen alignment with provincial labour markets through increased PNP allocations.
- Support nation-building infrastructure and innovation projects.
Regional Goals:
- Maintain flexibility for rural and remote communities, where immigration helps counter population decline.
- Address labour shortages in industries affected by tariffs or seasonal fluctuations.
Humanitarian Goals:
- Maintain strong refugee and protected person intake at 13 per cent.
- Uphold Canada’s role as a leader in resettling vulnerable populations, including human rights defenders and LGBTQI+ individuals.
Fiscal and Policy Implications
The plan carries an estimated fiscal cost of $168.2 million over four years, primarily due to lost revenue from lower temporary resident applications and the administrative costs of regularisation.
While this marks a short-term expense, Ottawa maintains that the plan’s long-term payoff lies in system integrity and social balance.
By 2027, Canada’s population growth from immigration will look markedly different:
- Permanent residents: less than 1 per cent of population growth annually
- Temporary residents: under 5 per cent of total population
The result will be a slower pace of demographic expansion and, potentially, less pressure on housing markets and public services – but also fewer inflows of short-term labour and tuition revenue.
A Measured Shift in Canada’s Immigration Policy
The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan signals a shift from expansion to consolidation.
By dramatically reducing new temporary arrivals but maintaining strong permanent immigration, Ottawa aims to restore balance and predictability. Yet, the cuts also raise questions about the capacity of key sectors to cope with fewer workers and the impact on universities reliant on international students.
The coming years will test whether this recalibration achieves sustainability without undermining economic growth. Further details will appear in the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, expected later this year.
Immigration Levels Plan: Frequently Asked Questions
How many immigrants will Canada admit under this plan?
Canada will admit 380,000 permanent residents each year from 2026 to 2028, alongside reduced temporary resident targets of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027–2028.
How large is the reduction in temporary residents?
The number of new temporary residents will fall by more than 288,000 from 2025 to 2026 – a cut of about 43 per cent, bringing the temporary share of the population below 5 per cent by 2027.
What are the priorities in permanent immigration?
Economic immigration leads the plan, making up 64 per cent of permanent admissions by 2028. Key programs include Express Entry, the PNP, and regional pilots such as the Atlantic and Community Immigration programs.
How is Canada maintaining humanitarian commitments?
Canada remains committed to refugee resettlement and protected persons, dedicating 13 per cent of all permanent admissions to these streams and launching a one-time regularisation initiative for 115,000 protected persons.
What challenges could arise from these changes?
While the plan may ease housing and service pressures, reduced temporary admissions could create short-term labour shortages, affect university revenues, and slow economic output in regions dependent on foreign workers.
