What to Expect from Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028

Canada is preparing to unveil its next major immigration roadmap — the Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028, which will outline how many permanent residents and temporary residents the country plans to welcome over the next three years.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will release the new plan on or before November 1, 2025. Every year, this plan provides firm admission targets for the upcoming year and estimated projections for the two years that follow.

Here’s what we can expect based on current trends, previous targets, and recent government announcements.

1. Stabilization of Permanent Resident Targets

Canada’s permanent residence (PR) admissions are expected to remain stable.
The federal government previously promised to keep PR admissions below 1% of Canada’s population each year. With Canada’s population reaching about 41.65 million in July 2025, this means no more than 416,500 new PRs in 2027.

Last year, IRCC reduced PR targets by about 20%, shifting from the 2023 plan’s target of 500,000 to 395,000 for 2025 and 380,000 for 2026.

These figures include economic immigration, family reunification, and refugee/humanitarian programs.

2. Express Entry: Continued Focus on Skilled Talent

While overall PR targets have been reduced, Express Entry continues to play a vital role in welcoming skilled workers.

The latest plan replaced the older “Federal High Skilled (FHS)” category with two new ones:

• Federal Economic Priorities (for in-demand jobs and French-language draws)
• In-Canada Focus (for applicants already working or studying in Canada)
  
  

Together, these categories show a slight increase in Express Entry targets compared to last year.

This indicates that IRCC will likely continue favouring category-based draws for specific occupations and candidates with strong Canadian experience.

3. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Expect a Comeback

The Provincial Nominee Program saw major cuts in 2025, with targets dropping from 120,000 in 2024 to 55,000 per year through 2027.

However, several provinces — including British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and New Brunswick — have since negotiated increases in their nomination allocations for 2025.

Following these developments, and the federal-provincial meeting on October 16, it is likely that 2026 will bring higher PNP targets to help provinces address labour shortages more effectively.

4. Temporary Residents Included in the Plan

For the second year in a row, IRCC will include temporary residents — such as international students and temporary foreign workers — in the Immigration Levels Plan.

The goal remains to reduce the non-permanent resident population to below 5% of Canada’s total population by 2027.

The majority of temporary resident arrivals are international students, followed by foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

5. Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Stricter Rules Expected

Prime Minister Mark Carney has hinted at targeted reforms to the TFWP, focusing on specific sectors and regional needs.
Recent measures include:

• A moratorium on low-wage LMIA processing in high-unemployment regions (6% or higher)
• Higher wage thresholds for high-wage positions
• Lower caps on how many temporary workers an employer can hire
• Limited access to spousal open work permits (SOWPs) — now only available for spouses of workers in TEER 0, 1, and select TEER 2–3 occupations

The program has faced criticism, with calls from opposition leaders for a full review or restructuring.

6. Focus on Francophone Immigration

Canada’s commitment to increasing French-speaking immigration outside Quebec remains firm.

The 2025–2027 plan set progressive targets:

• 8.5% in 2025
• 9.5% in 2026
• 10% in 2027

Prime Minister Carney has further promised to raise this to 12% by 2029.
IRCC has supported this by:

• Introducing French-language category-based draws
• Launching the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
• Expanding settlement supports for francophone newcomers

This emphasis is likely to continue in the upcoming plan.

7. International Students: Cap May Continue

The federal government’s cap on study permits — requiring a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) — is expected to remain in place.

Current student targets under the 2025–2027 plan are steady at 305,900 per year through 2027.

Further changes to student admissions may depend on the government’s ongoing review of housing capacity and institutional compliance.

Key Takeaways

• Permanent resident targets are expected to remain below 416,500 annually.
• Express Entry will continue emphasizing skilled workers and in-demand occupations.
• PNP targets may increase after last year’s major cuts.
• Temporary residents will remain a central part of the plan, but with tighter controls.
• Francophone immigration and Canadian experience-based PR streams will stay top priorities.
• The international student cap is likely to continue through 2027.

In summary, Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan will aim to balance growth with sustainability — focusing on attracting in-demand workers, supporting provinces, and managing temporary resident inflows responsibly.