Canada's Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028: what the targets mean for you
Every fall, Canada publishes how many permanent residents it plans to admit over the next three years, and since the 2025-2027 plan how many temporary residents too. Those numbers shape Express Entry, each province's nomination allocation and the pace of family files. This guide sets out every target in the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, what each means for the application you are planning, and what to watch for when the 2027-2029 plan is tabled.
Key takeaways
The 2026-2028 plan sets permanent resident admissions at 380,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with the Provincial Nominee Program at 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in 2027 and 2028, Federal High Skilled at 109,000 in 2026 and 111,000 in 2027 and 2028, spouses, partners and children at 69,000 in 2026 and 66,000 in 2027 and 2028 and new temporary arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. Only the first year of a plan is fixed. The 2027-2029 plan is due by 1 November 2026, or within 30 sitting days after that date if no House is sitting.
- Permanent residents: 380,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with a 2026 range of 350,000 to 420,000.
- Provincial Nominee Program: 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in 2027 and 2028, up from 55,000 in 2025.
- Federal High Skilled: 109,000 in 2026 and 111,000 in 2027 and 2028, the line the three Express Entry programs draw on.
- Family: 69,000 spouses, partners and children and 15,000 parents and grandparents in 2026.
- Temporary arrivals: 385,000 in 2026, made up of 170,000 International Mobility Program, 60,000 Temporary Foreign Worker Program and 155,000 students.
- Next plan: not yet published; the Act sets a 1 November 2026 deadline, with a 30-sitting-day fallback if no House is sitting.
What the Immigration Levels Plan is
Section 94 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires the Minister to table the annual report to Parliament on immigration by 1 November, or within 30 sitting days after that date if a House of Parliament is not then sitting, and the report must give the number of permanent residents projected for the following year (Justice Laws, act current to 21 September 2026). IRCC publishes the levels plan with that report (the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration carries the 2026-2028 plan as an annex). The plan is a rolling three-year plan with firm targets and ranges for the first year and notional targets for the other two, a model IRCC has used since 2018, and since the 2025-2027 plan it also sets targets for new temporary resident arrivals (IRCC briefing). IRCC uses the plan to allocate resources for reviewing applications and planning settlement supports, and it gives each target a range so it can respond to changing pressures. The current plan, 2026-2028, was published on 4 November 2025, with Budget 2025, and is on canada.ca with its supplementary information.
Permanent resident targets, 2026 to 2028
Canada plans to admit 380,000 permanent residents in 2026, with 239,800 places going to economic programs, 84,000 to the family class and 49,300 to refugees and protected persons. Only the 2026 column is fixed; the 2027 and 2028 figures are notional and can be replaced by the next plan.
| Category | 2026 target (fixed) | 2027 (notional) | 2028 (notional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall permanent resident admissions | 380,000 (350,000 to 420,000) | 380,000 (350,000 to 420,000) | 380,000 (350,000 to 420,000) |
| French-speaking admissions outside Quebec | 9% (30,267) | 9.5% (31,825) | 10.5% (35,175) |
| Federal High Skilled (Express Entry programs) | 109,000 | 111,000 | 111,000 |
| Federal Business | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Federal economic pilots (caregivers, agri-food, community pilots, EMPP) | 8,175 | 8,775 | 8,775 |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 91,500 | 92,500 | 92,500 |
| Quebec skilled workers and business | Set by Quebec | Set by Quebec | Set by Quebec |
| Total economic | 239,800 (224,000 to 264,000) | 244,700 (229,000 to 268,000) | 244,700 (229,000 to 268,000) |
| Spouses, partners and children | 69,000 | 66,000 | 66,000 |
| Parents and grandparents | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Total family | 84,000 (78,500 to 92,000) | 81,000 (75,000 to 90,000) | 81,000 (75,000 to 90,000) |
| Protected persons in Canada and dependants abroad | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Resettled refugees (government-assisted, blended, privately sponsored) | 29,300 | 29,300 | 29,300 |
| Total refugees and protected persons | 49,300 (42,000 to 55,000) | 49,300 (42,000 to 55,000) | 49,300 (42,000 to 55,000) |
| Humanitarian and compassionate and other | 6,900 (6,000 to 9,000) | 5,000 (4,000 to 7,000) | 5,000 (4,000 to 7,000) |
Temporary resident targets
The plan sets new temporary resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, made up in 2026 of 230,000 workers and 155,000 students. The International Mobility Program figure is held at 170,000 throughout, so any change sits in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (60,000 in 2026 and 50,000 in 2027 and 2028) and the student line (155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in 2027 and 2028).
| New arrivals | 2026 target (fixed) | 2027 (notional) | 2028 (notional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall new temporary resident arrivals | 385,000 (375,000 to 395,000) | 370,000 (360,000 to 380,000) | 370,000 (360,000 to 380,000) |
| Workers, total | 230,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt) | 170,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 |
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program (LMIA-based) | 60,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
What the numbers mean line by line
Express Entry: 109,000 Federal High Skilled
Federal High Skilled covers the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class, and it is set at 109,000 in 2026 and 111,000 in 2027 and 2028. Those three programs' rounds of invitations feed it, and IRCC says the Minister sets the Express Entry categories each year from labour market information and input from provinces, territories and stakeholders. Through round 447 on 1 October 2026, every 2026 round was a Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program or category round, and none was an all-program round (IRCC rounds feed, read 5 October 2026). A candidate abroad without Canadian experience or French should read the Provincial Nominee Program line next.
Provincial Nominee Program: 91,500
The Provincial Nominee Program target is 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in 2027 and 2028. That is up from 55,000 in 2025 and below the 110,000 of 2024. The plan publishes one national figure and no split by province. Alberta's own 2026 allocation is 6,603 nominations, of which 5,221 had been issued when Alberta last updated its page on 23 September 2026 (alberta.ca). Alberta also votes on immigration questions in a provincial referendum on 19 October 2026, which does not change the federal figures (our referendum explainer). Our AAIP draws, Manitoba draws and BC draws trackers show how each province is using its share.
Family class: 84,000
The family target is 84,000 in 2026 and 81,000 in 2027 and 2028: spouses, partners and children 69,000 in 2026 and 66,000 in 2027 and 2028 and parents and grandparents 15,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028. IRCC publishes about 26 months for inland spousal sponsorship and 18 months outland, outside Quebec (IRCC processing times, updated 3 September 2026). On parents and grandparents, IRCC paused new interest to sponsor forms and invitations on 15 July 2026 until further notice, continues to process existing applications and plans to approve up to 15,000 people in 2026 (IRCC notice); the super visa is the route IRCC points to for parents and grandparents who want to visit.
Francophone immigration: 9 to 10.5 percent
The plan sets French-speaking admissions outside Quebec at 9 percent of the total in 2026, 9.5 percent in 2027 and 10.5 percent in 2028, toward the government's commitment of 12 percent by 2029 (IRCC). IRCC reports 14,900 new French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec from January to July 2026. See our Francophone Mobility guide for the work permit route for French-speaking workers outside Quebec.
Temporary residents: 385,000
New arrivals are 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. IRCC lists, among the measures behind lower arrivals, an annual cap on study permits introduced in 2024, a 10 percent limit on low-wage hiring under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and a stop on processing low-wage applications in census metropolitan areas with at least 6 percent unemployment (IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026). The International Mobility Program line of 170,000 covers streams that do not need an LMIA, including work permits under agreements with partner countries and under economic, family-class or humanitarian public policies, such as International Experience Canada; post-graduation work permits are not counted in these targets. Our low-wage LMIA and wage threshold guides cover the employer rules.
Two one-time initiatives sit outside the targets
IRCC runs two one-time initiatives in 2026 and 2027 and says the admissions under them are in addition to, not part of, the plan's targets. The first moves about 115,000 protected persons in Canada and their in-Canada dependants to permanent residence over the two years, with 46,000 planned for 2026. The second accelerates up to 33,000 workers in smaller communities, at least 20,000 of them in 2026. By 31 July 2026 IRCC reports 20,900 protected persons and 13,000 workers admitted (IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026).
Targets are plans, and admissions are not invitations
What to watch for in the 2027-2029 plan
IRCC has not published the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires the report that carries it by 1 November 2026, with the fallback described below. This section lists only what the government has published so far, with the source and the date, and makes no forecast.
When it is due
Section 94(1) allows the Minister to table the report within the next 30 days on which a House of Parliament is sitting after 1 November if that House is not then sitting. 1 November 2026 is a Sunday. The last two plans were published on 24 October 2024 and, with Budget 2025, on 4 November 2025 (IRCC briefing, IRCC question period note, Budget 2025). IRCC's consultation page says the 2027-2029 plan "will be tabled this fall", and Finance Canada said on 6 July 2026 that Budget 2026 will be delivered this fall (Finance Canada). On 5 October 2026 we found no published date for either.
The published signals
| Signal | What the government has published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notional years | The 2026-2028 plan calls 2027 and 2028 notional and says they will be confirmed or adjusted each year, with the temporary resident figures by 1 November. For 2027 it shows 380,000 permanent residents, 370,000 new temporary arrivals, 92,500 provincial nominees, 111,000 Federal High Skilled and 81,000 family class. | IRCC supplementary information, 5 November 2025 |
| Three commitments | Reduce the temporary population to less than 5% of the total population by the end of 2027, stabilize permanent resident admissions at less than 1% of the population after 2027, and increase the Francophone immigration target to 12% of permanent resident admissions by 2029. | IRCC, 3 December 2025 |
| Temporary population | Statistics Canada estimates 2,779,774 non-permanent residents on 1 July 2026 in a population of 41,798,407, which is about 6.7% by our arithmetic. | Statistics Canada, 23 September 2026 |
| Permanent admissions so far | 188,800 new permanent residents from January to July 2026 under the plan, against the 380,000 target, plus 33,900 under the two one-time initiatives. 57% of new permanent residents in that period were former temporary residents, against 48% in 2025 and 44% in 2024. | IRCC permanent residents page and IRCC temporary residents page, data as of 31 July 2026 |
| Temporary arrivals so far | 28,200 student arrivals against a 155,000 target and 113,360 worker arrivals against a 230,000 target, January to July 2026. | IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026 |
| Public consultation | IRCC's levels survey ran from 12 May to 30 June 2026, and IRCC calls it key to informing the plan that will be tabled this fall. The final report on the 2025 consultation was published in November 2025; none is listed for 2026 yet. | IRCC consultation page, 2 July 2026 and IRCC consultations list, 2 September 2026 |
| Provinces and territories | The federal, provincial and territorial ministers met on 23 June 2026 to advance work on the 2027-2029 plan. The provincial and territorial ministers underscored the importance of increasing the Provincial Nominee Program and Atlantic Immigration Program allocations and asked for more information on how PNP targets are set. | IRCC news release, 23 June 2026 |
| Express Entry reform | IRCC consulted from 23 April to 24 May 2026 on changes to the Express Entry programs and the Comprehensive Ranking System and says any program changes will be published in the Canada Gazette. | IRCC, 9 June 2026 |
| One-time initiatives | About 115,000 protected persons and up to 33,000 workers are planned for 2026 and 2027, in addition to the targets. Both are defined for those two years only. | IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026 |
Where 2026 stands against its targets
| Line | 2026 target | January to July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| New permanent residents under the plan | 380,000 | 188,800 |
| Economic | 239,800 | 109,600 |
| Family | 84,000 | 52,900 |
| Refugees and protected persons | 49,300 | 21,800 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate and other | 6,900 | 4,400 |
| One-time initiative: protected persons (in addition) | 46,000 | 20,900 |
| One-time initiative: workers (in addition) | 20,000 | 13,000 |
| New student arrivals | 155,000 | 28,200 |
| New worker arrivals | 230,000 | 113,360 |
How the notional years moved last time
The 2025-2027 plan carried the same wording, that its notional 2026 and 2027 figures would be confirmed or adjusted by 1 November. The 2026-2028 plan then changed several of them, as the table shows.
| Line | Year | Notional in the 2025-2027 plan | In the 2026-2028 plan | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident admissions | 2026 | 380,000 | 380,000 | Unchanged |
| Permanent resident admissions | 2027 | 365,000 | 380,000 | +15,000 |
| New temporary resident arrivals | 2026 | 516,600 | 385,000 | -131,600 |
| New temporary resident arrivals | 2027 | 543,600 | 370,000 | -173,600 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 2026 | 55,000 | 91,500 | +36,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 2027 | 55,000 | 92,500 | +37,500 |
| Federal High Skilled | 2026 | 123,230 | 109,000 | -14,230 |
| Federal High Skilled | 2027 | 118,730 | 111,000 | -7,730 |
| Spouses, partners and children | 2026 | 66,500 | 69,000 | +2,500 |
| Spouses, partners and children | 2027 | 61,000 | 66,000 | +5,000 |
| Parents and grandparents | 2026 | 21,500 | 15,000 | -6,500 |
| Parents and grandparents | 2027 | 20,000 | 15,000 | -5,000 |
| French-speaking share outside Quebec | 2026 | 9.5% | 9% | -0.5 points |
| French-speaking share outside Quebec | 2027 | 10% | 9.5% | -0.5 points |
What to check first on tabling day
The table sets the notional 2027 figures in the current plan against the new plan, whose column stays empty until IRCC publishes it.
| Line | Year | Notional in the 2026-2028 plan | In the 2027-2029 plan | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident admissions | 2027 | 380,000 | Not yet published | Pending |
| New temporary resident arrivals | 2027 | 370,000 | Not yet published | Pending |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 2027 | 92,500 | Not yet published | Pending |
| Federal High Skilled | 2027 | 111,000 | Not yet published | Pending |
| Spouses, partners and children | 2027 | 66,000 | Not yet published | Pending |
| Parents and grandparents | 2027 | 15,000 | Not yet published | Pending |
| French-speaking share outside Quebec | 2027 | 9.5% | Not yet published | Pending |
The lines to read first are these.
- Permanent resident total: the 2027 figure against the notional 380,000, and its range against 350,000 to 420,000.
- Temporary arrivals: the 2027 figure against 370,000, and the split between the International Mobility Program (170,000), the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (50,000) and students (150,000).
- Provincial lines: the Provincial Nominee Program against 92,500 and the Atlantic Immigration Program against 4,000, given the request the provincial and territorial ministers made on 23 June 2026.
- Federal High Skilled: the 2027 figure against 111,000, and whether IRCC publishes Express Entry program changes in the Canada Gazette.
- Family: spouses, partners and children against 66,000 and parents and grandparents against 15,000, alongside IRCC's 15 July 2026 notice pausing new parents and grandparents intake.
- French-speaking share: the 2027 figure against 9.5 percent, and the first 2029 figure against the 12 percent commitment.
- One-time initiatives: whether anything follows them in 2028 and 2029.
- 2029: every 2029 figure is new, because the current plan stops at 2028.
How this plan compares with the last ones
First-year permanent resident targets were 485,000 for 2024, 395,000 for 2025 and 380,000 for 2026 across the three most recent plans, and the Provincial Nominee Program first-year target was 110,000 in the 2024-2026 plan, 55,000 in the 2025-2027 plan and 91,500 in the 2026-2028 plan. The figures come from IRCC's supplementary information for the 2024-2026, 2025-2027 and 2026-2028 plans.
| Plan | PR target for the first year | PNP | Federal High Skilled | Spouses, partners, children | Parents and grandparents | New temporary arrivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2026 (published 1 November 2023) | 485,000 for 2024 | 110,000 | 110,770 | 82,000 | 32,000 | No target |
| 2025-2027 (published 24 October 2024) | 395,000 for 2025 | 55,000 | 124,680 | 70,000 | 24,500 | 673,650 |
| 2026-2028 (published 4 November 2025) | 380,000 for 2026 | 91,500 | 109,000 | 69,000 | 15,000 | 385,000 |
IRCC states that its focus is giving permanent residence to people already living in, working in and contributing to Canada, and its data show former temporary residents were 44 percent of new permanent residents in 2024, 48 percent in 2025 and 57 percent from January to July 2026 (IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026). For the policy story behind the targets, see how the Carney government arrived at these targets.
What to do with this
- In Canada on a permit: build the year of experience for the CEC, submit the provincial EOI where you qualify, and keep status with a bridging permit. See TR to PR.
- Abroad in a category occupation: check the NOC code and the category lists, because the category rounds are the line to read.
- Abroad with French: get the TEF or TCF result; the French-language rounds and Francophone Mobility are the routes to look at first.
- Abroad without either: the two routes to look at first are a provincial nomination and an employer willing to run an LMIA, and the CRS calculator will tell you where you stand before you spend on tests.
- Sponsoring a partner: the plan's figure for spouses, partners and children is 69,000 in 2026 and 66,000 in 2027 and 2028, and IRCC's published times are about 26 months inland and 18 months outland (IRCC processing times, updated 3 September 2026).
Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497). Figures are from IRCC's published 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan and its supplementary information (read 5 October 2026), and from the other government pages named beside them, each with the date it carries. The 2027-2029 plan is due by 1 November 2026, or within 30 sitting days after that date if no House is sitting, and this page will be updated when it is tabled. Nothing here predicts an individual outcome.
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants will Canada accept in 2026?
The 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets permanent resident admissions at 380,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with a planning range of 350,000 to 420,000 for 2026, and only the 2026 figure is fixed. It also plans new temporary resident arrivals of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028 (230,000 workers and 155,000 students in 2026).
Is Canada reducing immigration?
Planned first-year permanent resident admissions were 485,000 for 2024, 395,000 for 2025 and 380,000 for 2026, and planned new temporary resident arrivals, which have had a target only since the 2025-2027 plan, were 673,650 for 2025 and 385,000 for 2026 (IRCC levels plans). The government's stated aim is a temporary population below 5 percent of the total population by the end of 2027.
What share of admissions is economic immigration?
Economic immigration takes 239,800 of the 380,000 permanent resident places in 2026, which is 63 percent, and 244,700 in 2027, which is 64 percent. Within that, the Provincial Nominee Program target is 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in 2027 and 2028 and Federal High Skilled, which covers Express Entry, is 109,000 in 2026 and 111,000 in 2027 and 2028.
What does the plan mean for provincial nominee programs?
The Provincial Nominee Program target is 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in 2027 and 2028, up from 55,000 in 2025 and below the 110,000 of 2024. The plan publishes one national figure and no split by province; Alberta's own 2026 allocation is 6,603 nominations (alberta.ca, updated 23 September 2026).
How many spouses and partners will be admitted?
The family class target is 84,000 in 2026 and 81,000 in 2027 and 2028, of which spouses, partners and children are 69,000 in 2026 and 66,000 in 2027 and 2028 and parents and grandparents 15,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028. IRCC publishes about 26 months for inland and about 18 months for outland spousal applications outside Quebec (IRCC processing times, updated 3 September 2026).
What is the Francophone target?
French-speaking admissions outside Quebec are set at 9 percent of the total in 2026 (30,267), 9.5 percent in 2027 (31,825) and 10.5 percent in 2028 (35,175), toward the government's commitment of 12 percent by 2029 (IRCC).
What are the temporary resident targets?
The plan sets new temporary resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, made up of workers (230,000 in 2026 and 220,000 in 2027 and 2028) and students (155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in 2027 and 2028). Workers split into International Mobility Program (170,000 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028) and Temporary Foreign Worker Program (60,000 in 2026 and 50,000 in 2027 and 2028), and the targets count new arrivals only: permit extensions, in-Canada permit applications, visitors, asylum claimants and post-graduation work permits are not targeted (IRCC).
When is the next levels plan announced?
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires the annual report to Parliament that carries the plan on or before 1 November each year, or within 30 sitting days after that date if a House of Parliament is not then sitting. 1 November 2026 is a Sunday, and IRCC says the 2027-2029 plan will be tabled this fall; the last two plans came on 24 October 2024 and, with Budget 2025, on 4 November 2025.
What are Canada's immigration plans for the years 2027 to 2029?
Canada has not published a 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, so the notional 2027 and 2028 figures in the 2026-2028 plan are the only official numbers. They are permanent admissions of 380,000 in both years, 92,500 provincial nominees, 111,000 Federal High Skilled, 81,000 family class and a French-speaking share of 9.5 percent in 2027 and 10.5 percent in 2028. IRCC says it will confirm or adjust them by 1 November, and no figure exists yet for 2029.
How many permanent residents has Canada admitted so far in 2026?
IRCC reports 188,800 new permanent residents from January to July 2026 against the 380,000 target, plus 33,900 under two one-time initiatives that sit outside the targets (IRCC, data as of 31 July 2026). IRCC adds that 57 percent of new permanent residents in that period were former temporary residents.
What share of Canada's population is temporary?
Statistics Canada estimates 2,779,774 non-permanent residents on 1 July 2026 in a population of 41,798,407, which is about 6.7 percent by our arithmetic, against the government's commitment to bring the temporary population below 5 percent by the end of 2027 (Statistics Canada, 23 September 2026).
Want to know where your profile sits against the 2026 targets?
A licensed RCIC maps you to the line you are actually competing in, federal, provincial or family, and tells you what moves it.