On November 5, 2026, the Government of Canada released its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan alongside the 2026 Federal Budget.
At first glance, the overall numbers have not changed much. Canada will continue to target 380,000 permanent resident admissions per year, while the target for new temporary resident arrivals will remain at 370,000 per year.
The bigger story is where those spaces are being allocated.
The new plan places more emphasis on provincial and regional immigration, increases the target for French-speaking immigration outside Quebec, makes rural immigration permanent and introduces a separate time-limited measure intended to transition up to 200,000 people already in Canada to permanent residence in 2027.
Immigration Targets Remain Unchanged for 2027–2029
Canada plans to admit 380,000 permanent residents in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Economic immigration will continue to receive the largest share, accounting for approximately 64.4% of permanent resident admissions each year.
The annual targets include:
| Immigration category | Annual target |
| Economic immigration | 244,700 |
| Family Class | 81,000 |
| Refugees and Protected Persons | 49,300 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 5,000 |
Within Family Class, 66,000 spaces are allocated to spouses, partners and dependent children, while 15,000 are allocated to parents and grandparents.
Temporary Resident Arrivals Will Remain at 370,000 Per Year
Canada is also maintaining its target of 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals annually from 2027 to 2029.
This includes:
- 220,000 temporary workers
- 150,000 international students
Of the worker target, 170,000 will come through the International Mobility Program and 50,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The targets are for new arrivals only and generally do not include permit extensions, people applying for a new work or study permit from inside Canada, visitors or asylum claimants. Post-Graduation Work Permits are also excluded from the arrival target because IRCC treats them as a change or extension of status rather than a new arrival to Canada.
What Changed in the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan?
Provincial Nominee Program Spaces Increase
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) will increase to 95,000 admissions per year.
The previous plan had allocated 92,500 spaces for 2027 and 2028.
This is not a dramatic increase, but it reinforces the role provinces and territories are expected to play in selecting workers who match their own labour market needs.
For prospective immigrants, this means it is becoming increasingly important to look beyond Express Entry alone. Provincial programs can create additional opportunities, particularly for candidates whose occupation, work experience or connection to a particular province matches that province’s priorities.
Atlantic Immigration Program Increases to 6,000
The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) will also increase.
Canada is planning for 6,000 admissions per year through the program from 2027 to 2029, compared with 4,000 under the previous plan.
The AIP provides a pathway to permanent residence for eligible workers and international graduates with job offers from designated employers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The increase is another indication that Canada intends to continue using regional immigration programs to address labour needs outside the country’s largest urban centres.
Rural Community Immigration Will Become Permanent
Another important announcement is that the Rural Community Immigration Pilot will become a permanent immigration program.
The new Levels Plan allocates:
- 5,500 admissions in 2027
- 6,000 admissions in 2028
- 6,500 admissions in 2029
According to IRCC, making the program permanent is intended to help rural and regional communities respond to ongoing labour shortages.
For prospective applicants, this is significant because community-based immigration programs have increasingly become another option outside the traditional Express Entry and PNP routes.
French-Speaking Immigration Targets Continue to Increase
French-language ability will remain an important part of Canada’s immigration strategy.
Canada’s target for French-speaking permanent residents settling outside Quebec will increase to:
- 9.5% in 2027
- 10.5% in 2028
- 12% in 2029
The 2029 target represents approximately 40,200 French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec.
This continues a trend we have already seen through Express Entry, where French-language proficiency has been a major category for targeted invitations.
For candidates who already speak some French or are willing to learn the language, improving their language ability and completing an approved French-language test may therefore continue to be worth considering as part of a broader immigration strategy.
One-Time Measure for People Already in Canada
One of the most significant announcements accompanying the Levels Plan is a separate time-limited measure for people already living in Canada.
IRCC says the measure could transition up to 200,000 people to permanent residence in 2027 through two cohorts: a worker cohort and a humanitarian cohort.
Worker Cohort: Up to 100,000 People
Under the worker cohort, the federal government will work with provinces and territories to transition up to 100,000 workers already in Canada, along with their accompanying family members, to permanent residence.
Part of this will involve additional space through provincial nominee programs so provinces can identify workers who meet regional labour market needs.
Provinces and territories may also be able to identify certain workers who have already submitted permanent residence applications through selected federal programs, including the Atlantic Immigration Program and some programs that are now closed to new applications, such as the Agri-Food Pilot, federal business programs and home care worker programs.
Humanitarian Cohort: Up to 100,000 People
The second cohort will provide additional space for up to 100,000 people already in Canada who fall within certain humanitarian or family-related inventories.
IRCC has said the additional space will be used to:
- process remaining applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways
- process applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway
- finalize applications for people who have already been found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- process applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are already living in Canada
IRCC expects the additional family-class processing space to help move processing times for in-Canada spouses and partners destined outside Quebec closer to 12 months.
What Does the New Immigration Levels Plan Mean for Applicants?
The overall PR target may be staying at 380,000, but the distribution of those spaces matters.
For candidates outside Canada, the reduction in the Federal High Skilled target alongside increases to PNP, AIP and rural immigration reinforces the importance of looking at more than one pathway. Express Entry may still be the right option for some candidates, while others may need to consider whether their occupation and profile fit a provincial or regional program.
For workers already in Canada, the new time-limited measure is potentially significant. However, there is not yet enough information to assume that simply being a temporary worker in Canada will make someone eligible for one of the 100,000 worker spaces.
Conclusion
Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan keeps the overall permanent resident target steady at 380,000 per year, but there are important changes underneath that number.
Provincial and regional programs are receiving more space, rural immigration is becoming permanent, French-language targets continue to rise, and Canada is introducing a significant time-limited measure focused on people who are already established in the country.
For prospective applicants, the important question is therefore not simply how many permanent residents Canada plans to admit, but where those spaces are being allocated and which programs best match your individual circumstances.
If you would like to understand how the new Immigration Levels Plan may affect your permanent residence options, book a consultation with our team of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants to review your profile and discuss the pathways that may be available to you.
The Team at Northern Connections Canada
