Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: 380,000 New Permanent Residents a Year and a One-Time Path for People Already in Canada

On November 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan. The plan sets how many new permanent residents, workers and students Canada intends to welcome each year. It does not change any application rules on its own, but it shows where the opportunities will be — and where competition will be tight.

1. Permanent residents: 380,000 per year

The target is 380,000 new permanent residents in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029, within a range of 352,500 to 422,000. IRCC says economic immigration will stay above 64% of admissions and that permanent resident admissions will remain below 1% of Canada’s population beyond 2027. The 2027 targets by category are:

• Express Entry (Federal High Skilled): 100,000
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 95,000
• Atlantic Immigration Program: 6,000 · Rural Community Immigration Program: 5,500
• Spouses, partners and children: 66,000 · Parents and grandparents: 15,000
• Protected persons in Canada and dependants abroad: 20,000 · Resettled refugees: 11,750 government-assisted and 17,550 privately sponsored
• Humanitarian and compassionate and other: 5,000

IRCC notes that the 2028 and 2029 numbers are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted each year. Quebec sets its own targets.

2. A one-time path for people already in Canada

On top of the regular targets, the government announced a time-limited measure to move up to 200,000 people already in Canada to permanent residence, with processing in 2027, in two cohorts:

• Workers cohort: up to 100,000 in-Canada workers and their families, selected together with provinces and territories based on regional labour needs.
• Humanitarian cohort: up to 100,000 people who have waited many years for a decision — including finalizing humanitarian and compassionate applications already found eligible.

IRCC is also continuing earlier initiatives to transition up to 115,000 protected persons and up to 33,000 work permit holders in 2026 and 2027. Eligibility criteria and application steps for the new cohorts have not been published yet. Be careful with anyone who claims they can “register” you for this program today.

3. Fewer new temporary residents

The plan targets 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals per year: 220,000 workers (170,000 through the International Mobility Program and 50,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program) and 150,000 international students. The government says it aims to reduce the overall temporary resident population.

4. More room for French speakers

French-speaking admissions outside Quebec are set to rise from 9.5% of permanent residents in 2027 to 10.5% in 2028 and 12% in 2029. If you have any French, improving it may be one of the strongest moves you can make.

What this means for you

1. In Express Entry? With 100,000 places and the new CRS rules, check your score with our CRS calculator and consider a provincial nomination as a parallel route.
2. Working or studying in Canada? Keep your status valid and your documents (pay stubs, reference letters, tax records) organized, so you are ready when the one-time cohort details are released.
3. Sponsoring family? Spousal and parent places remain significant. See our family sponsorship services.
4. Not sure which program fits? Try our program finder.

Targets show direction, not guarantees for any one person. If you want to know how this plan affects your own options, book a free assessment with our licensed RCIC-IRB — in English or Farsi.