Canada's 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan: PR held at 380,000, student arrivals at 150,000 a year
Canada · Policy change · Published 2026-11-05
| Country / region | Canada |
|---|---|
| Category | Policy change |
| Date | Published 2026-11-05 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) |
| What happened | Permanent resident admissions are set at 380,000 a year for all three years (range 352,500-422,000). The economic class takes 244,700 or 64.4% -- Federal High Skilled 100,000, Provincial Nominee Program 95,000, Atlantic Immigration Program 6,000, Rural Community Immigration Program 5,500, federal economic pilots 7,900 and federal business 1,500 in 2027, with Quebec to be confirmed. Family class takes 81,000 or 21.3% (66,000 spouses, partners and children, 15,000 parents and grandparents), refugees and protected persons 49,300 or 13%, and humanitarian and other 5,000 or 1.3%. New temporary resident arrivals are set at 370,000 a year (range 355,000-385,000), flat across the three years: 220,000 workers (170,000 under the International Mobility Program and 50,000 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program) and 150,000 students. French-speaking admissions outside Quebec are set at 9.5%, 10.5% and 12%. A new time-limited measure adds permanent residence processing space in 2027 for people already in Canada, in two cohorts -- workers transitioned in collaboration with provinces and territories, including applicants under some now-closed federal programmes, and a humanitarian cohort. The supplementary information does not state cohort sizes. The department notes that the 380,000 includes people already working or studying in Canada. |
| Impact on applicants | For families still outside Canada, the clearest change is the new-arrival student target: 155,000 in 2026 down to 150,000, now fixed for three years. The pressure lands on admission rather than on the visa desk, with popular programmes and institutions getting tighter. Three distinctions matter. First, 150,000 is a target for new student arrivals, not a cap on permits: extensions, transfers and post-graduation work permits sit outside it. Second, the 380,000 permanent resident target includes in-Canada transitions, so overseas applicants do not face a wider pool simply because the headline number held. Third, the time-limited measure covers people already in Canada and is not open to new overseas applicants. French outside Quebec keeps gaining weight, reaching 12% in 2029, which is a structural advantage for families able to build French proficiency. |
| Source | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (2026-11-05) ↗ Note on scope: published planning targets; 2028 and 2029 are notional and are confirmed or adjusted by 1 November each year; planning targets are not a commitment to issue a given number of permits |
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (2026-11-05) ↗ · Last verified: 2026-11-09 · For reference only; not application or legal advice. Always check the official source for current rules.
FAQ
Canada's 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan — what happened?
IRCC published the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan on 5 November 2026. Permanent resident admissions are set at 380,000 a year for all three years (range 352,500-422,000). The economic class takes 244,700 or 64.4%, family class 81,000 or 21.3%, refugees and protected persons 49,300 or 13%, and humanitarian and other 5,000 or 1.3%. New temporary resident arrivals are set at 370,000 a year (range 355,000-385,000), including 220,000 workers and 150,000 students, flat across the three years. French-speaking admissions outside Quebec are set at 9.5%, 10.5% and 12%. A 2027 time-limited measure adds processing space for people already in Canada, split into a workers cohort and a humanitarian cohort.
Is the 150,000 student figure a cap on study permits?
No. The department's footnotes state that temporary resident targets count new arrivals only, and exclude visitor visas and eTAs, permit extensions, in-Canada study and work permit applications, and asylum claimants. Students already in Canada who extend, transfer or apply for a post-graduation work permit do not use this 150,000. It constrains how many new students arrive each year, not how many permits are issued.
Where does this information come from?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (published 2026-11-05). Note on scope: published planning targets; 2028 and 2029 are notional and, per the department, are confirmed or adjusted by 1 November each year; planning targets are not a commitment to issue a given number of permits. Verified by us on 2026-11-09.
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