Ottawa, 04/11/2025 — Canada.
In early November 2025, IRCC published the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. The plan keeps the permanent resident admission target stable at 380,000 per year, reduces the number of new temporary residents, and raises the economic class share of total permanent residents to 64% by 2027-2028.
Key Figures
According to IRCC, the permanent resident (PR) admission target is stable at 380,000 per year for all three years, 2026, 2027 and 2028. This is a decrease from the previous plan (395,000 for 2025) but is considered stable going forward.
The target for new temporary residents (workers and students) is falling sharply: 385,000 in 2026 (a 43% decrease from 673,650 in 2025), and 370,000 for 2027 and 2028. The international student permit target drops from 305,900 (2025) to 155,000 (2026).
Economic Class Share Rising
The economic class share of total PR admissions will rise from 63% to 64% by 2027-2028. Within that, Federal High-Skilled (including Express Entry) targets 109,000 for 2026, a slight decrease from 124,680 in 2025, and stabilizes at 111,000 for 2027-2028.
The Francophone immigration target outside Quebec rises to 10.5% by 2028. Minister Lena Metlege Diab stated that IRCC will prioritize permanent residence for people who are already living and settled in Canada, in order to reduce the number of new arrivals.
Target to Reduce the Temporary Resident Population Share
The Canadian government has committed to reducing the temporary resident population to below 5% of the total population by the end of 2027. This is the policy basis for the plan’s sharp cut to temporary resident targets.
The plan also includes a program to transition about 115,000 Protected Persons to permanent residence within two years, along with up to 33,000 temporary workers transitioning to permanent residence by 2027. Specific targets may be adjusted once Quebec publishes its own immigration plan.
References
This article is compiled from government sources. Immigration regulations and figures may change over time; you should check current information on the official website before making a decision.
