Canada has released its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, keeping annual permanent resident admissions at 380,000 and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 in each of the three years.
The plan was published on Thursday, November 5, 2026, alongside the federal government’s broader budget and immigration announcement.
Although the headline totals remain unchanged from the previous planning framework, the detailed allocations alter the outlook for several immigration programs and introduce a temporary measure focused on people already living in Canada.
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What the immigration levels plan sets for 2027 to 2029
The immigration levels plan targets 380,000 permanent resident admissions in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Each year includes a planning range of 352,500 to 422,000 admissions, giving the government flexibility around the central target.
Economic immigration remains the largest category, with 244,700 admissions planned annually, representing 64.4 per cent of total permanent resident admissions.
Family admissions are set at 81,000 per year, while refugees and protected persons account for 49,300 annually and humanitarian, compassionate and other admissions account for 5,000.
| Category | Annual target |
|---|---|
| Permanent resident admissions | 380,000 |
| Economic admissions | 244,700 |
| Family admissions | 81,000 |
| Refugees and protected persons | 49,300 |
| Humanitarian, compassionate and other | 5,000 |
The figures are admissions targets rather than guaranteed approvals, invitation totals or individual application outcomes.
Federal High Skilled target falls while PNP allocation rises
The Federal High Skilled category is set at 100,000 permanent resident admissions in each year of the plan.
That is lower than the 111,000 target previously planned for 2027 and 2028 under the 2026–2028 plan.
IRCC identifies the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class within the Federal High Skilled category.
The 100,000 figure does not represent the number of Express Entry invitations that will be issued, and it does not establish future CRS cutoffs.
The national Provincial Nominee Program target rises to 95,000 admissions annually, compared with the previously planned 92,500 for 2027 and 2028.
The change is intended to give provinces and territories more capacity to select workers who meet regional labour-market needs, including through the new in-Canada measure.
The Atlantic Immigration Program receives 6,000 admissions in each year, up from the previous 4,000 target for 2027.
| Program | Previous 2027 target | New annual target |
|---|---|---|
| Federal High Skilled | 111,000 | 100,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 92,500 | 95,000 |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 6,000 |
Up to 200,000 people already in Canada could be covered
The government is introducing a time-limited measure that could help up to 200,000 people already living in Canada transition to permanent residence.
The measure is divided into a workers cohort and a humanitarian cohort, with up to 100,000 people associated with each group.
For the workers cohort, provinces and territories will help identify people already in Canada who meet regional labour-market needs, along with accompanying family members.
Additional Provincial Nominee Program space will support that work, while provinces and territories may also identify workers with existing applications under selected federal pathways.
Those pathways include the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and home-care worker programs, according to the government’s backgrounder.
The humanitarian cohort is intended to address long-standing applications, including remaining Hong Kong permanent residence and Ukraine Family Reunification applications and cases involving people already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The measure also supports applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada.
This is not a general application intake for all temporary residents.
Applicants should continue following the instructions for their existing immigration pathway and any applicable provincial selection process.
The measure concerns people already in Canada and should not be interpreted as 200,000 additional arrivals from abroad.
Budget 2026 separately describes the initiative as providing up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada with an opportunity to become permanent residents by the end of 2027.
Temporary resident arrivals stay at 370,000 annually
The plan sets new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 in 2027, 2028 and 2029, with an annual range of 355,000 to 385,000.
The annual total consists of 220,000 workers and 150,000 international students.
The worker allocation includes 170,000 arrivals under the International Mobility Program and 50,000 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
| Temporary resident category | Annual target |
|---|---|
| New temporary resident arrivals | 370,000 |
| Workers | 220,000 |
| International Mobility Program | 170,000 |
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program | 50,000 |
| International students | 150,000 |
These figures measure new arrivals under temporary worker and international student programs, not every permit issued by IRCC.
The plan’s temporary-resident arrival targets do not include visitors, permit extensions, in-Canada study or work permit applications, asylum claimants or post-graduation work permits treated as an extension or change of status.
Rural and French-speaking immigration targets
The Rural Community Immigration Program receives 5,500 admissions in 2027, 6,000 in 2028 and 6,500 in 2029.
IRCC has also confirmed that the Rural Community Immigration Pilot is being made permanent, giving participating communities and employers a continuing pathway for skilled workers who want to settle in rural and remote areas.
The plan sets French-speaking permanent resident targets outside Quebec at 9.5 per cent in 2027, 10.5 per cent in 2028 and 12 per cent in 2029.
Those French-speaking targets are included within the overall permanent resident totals and should not be added on top of the 380,000 annual admissions target.
What applicants should watch next
The levels plan provides the government’s three-year planning framework, but it does not replace program-specific instructions.
Express Entry draw sizes, CRS cutoffs, provincial nomination allocations and application procedures for the in-Canada measure will be announced or updated separately.
The 2028 and 2029 figures are described as notional planning targets and can be confirmed or adjusted through the annual planning process.
Applicants should therefore assess their eligibility against the rules of a specific pathway rather than assuming that a national allocation guarantees an invitation or approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 100,000 Federal High Skilled target mean Canada will issue 100,000 Express Entry invitations?
No. The figure is a permanent resident admissions target for the Federal High Skilled category. Express Entry invitation numbers, draw types and CRS cutoffs are determined separately.
Can every temporary resident apply for the new in-Canada permanent residence measure?
No. The announcement describes selected worker and humanitarian cohorts and does not create a general open intake for all temporary residents.
Are the 370,000 temporary resident targets the same as total permits issued?
No. The targets cover new arrivals under temporary worker and international student programs. They exclude several categories, including visitors, permit extensions and many in-Canada applications.
Does the 95,000 Provincial Nominee Program target set each province’s allocation?
No. It is a national permanent resident admissions target. Individual provincial allocations and nomination processes are separate decisions.
Are the 2028 and 2029 immigration targets final?
They are current planning targets. IRCC says the notional targets and ranges for those years can be confirmed or adjusted through the annual planning process.
Fact-Checked: Key targets, program allocations and the in-Canada measure were checked against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Budget 2026 information.
Disclaimer: Immigration eligibility and application procedures can change, so applicants should rely on the latest IRCC and provincial instructions for their specific pathway.