Canada is expected to unveil its new Immigration Levels Plan for 2027–2029 in early November, setting targets for permanent resident admissions and new temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers.
The upcoming plan will establish Canada’s first official permanent resident admission target for 2029 and will confirm or revise the indicative targets for 2027 and 2028 contained in the current 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
The announcement is expected to be closely watched by prospective immigrants, international students and foreign workers as the federal government determines the future size and composition of immigration to Canada.
Current immigration targets
Canada’s existing 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets permanent resident admissions at 380,000 for each of the three years.
For temporary residents, the current plan sets overall arrival targets of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.
The temporary resident targets cover new arrivals through international student and temporary worker programmes. The 2026 plan includes targets of 155,000 new international student arrivals and 230,000 temporary worker arrivals.
The government has also committed to reducing the temporary resident population to less than five per cent of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027.
For permanent residents, Ottawa has committed to keeping admissions below one per cent of the country’s population beyond 2027.
New plan to determine 2027–2029 direction
The 2027–2029 plan will determine whether the indicative numbers already set for 2027 and 2028 remain unchanged or are revised.
It will also establish the permanent resident target for 2029.
The plan is being developed through discussions between the federal government and provinces and territories. At a June 2026 meeting, federal, provincial and territorial immigration ministers discussed the upcoming plan, including sustainable immigration levels, regional and rural needs, labour shortages, key economic sectors and Provincial Nominee Program allocations.
The federal government has said immigration planning is being shaped around Canada’s labour-market requirements and the need to support economic growth while managing pressures on housing, infrastructure and public services.
Focus on economic immigration
Canada’s immigration policy has increasingly placed emphasis on attracting workers and skills considered important to the economy.
Under the current levels framework, permanent economic immigration is planned to account for 64 per cent of total immigration in 2027 and 2028.
The government says the approach is intended to prioritise people with skills needed to address labour shortages and support Canada’s economic sectors.
The government is also working to increase the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec.
The current plan targets Francophone admissions at 9 per cent in 2026, 9.5 per cent in 2027 and 10.5 per cent in 2028, with a broader commitment to reach 12 per cent by 2029.
International students and temporary workers
International students and temporary foreign workers are also expected to remain a major part of the 2027–2029 discussions.
Canada introduced targets for new temporary resident arrivals into its Immigration Levels Plan beginning with the 2025–2027 plan.
Under the current 2026–2028 plan, new student arrivals are targeted at 155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in both 2027 and 2028.
Total temporary worker arrivals are set at 230,000 in 2026 and 220,000 in 2027 and 2028. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program itself has targets of 60,000 in 2026 and 50,000 in each of the following two years.
These figures could change when the new plan is announced.
Canada has been reducing temporary resident numbers
The upcoming immigration plan follows several years of measures aimed at reducing the number of temporary residents in Canada.
The federal government says the temporary population has declined significantly and that the measures are intended to reduce pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services.
Canada’s current policy target is to bring temporary residents below five per cent of the total population by the end of 2027.
The government has also stated that it wants permanent resident admissions to remain below one per cent of the population beyond 2027.
As of July 31, 2026, Canada had recorded approximately 188,800 new permanent residents between January and July against its annual target of 380,000.
Prospective immigrants await November announcement
For people planning to move to Canada, study or work there, the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan could provide a clearer picture of the number of opportunities available across different immigration categories.
However, individual eligibility will continue to depend on the specific immigration programme, selection criteria and requirements in force at the time of application.
The government has not yet released the final 2027–2029 targets.
The plan is expected to be presented in November, when Ottawa will set out its official admission targets and provide greater clarity on Canada’s immigration priorities for permanent residents, international students and temporary foreign workers over the three-year period.
