Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan Maintains Targets in Budget 2026

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Overview of the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan

Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, detailed in Budget 2026 tabled by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on November 5, 2026, sets annual targets for permanent resident admissions at 380,000 and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 through 2029. This continues the course outlined in the previous year’s plan and reflects the current direction of Canadian immigration policy.

Permanent and Temporary Resident Targets Breakdown

According to Budget 2026, the new plan holds steady with previous targets. For each year from 2027 to 2029:

Permanent resident admissions: 380,000 annually
New temporary resident arrivals: 370,000 annually

This represents a 21% reduction from the 483,655 permanent resident admissions recorded in 2024 and a 46% decrease in temporary arrivals compared to 2024, and a 62% decrease from 2023 levels. Over three years, the plan anticipates 1.14 million new permanent residents. Financially, $56.9 million over four years (beginning 2027-28) and $205.4 million in later years are allocated to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to implement these policies.

Comparison with Previous Immigration Plans

The previous 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan had already established annual permanent resident targets of 380,000 for 2026, 2027, and 2028, within a planning range of 350,000 to 420,000. Temporary resident arrivals were set at 385,000 for 2026 and 370,000 for 2027 and 2028. The new plan confirms these figures and extends them through 2029.

This decision comes after mixed political signals in recent months, including discussions from Prime Minister Mark Carney and Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab about population growth and labor needs, as well as calls from the opposition for reductions. Despite these debates, the targets ultimately remain unchanged.

Special Pathway for Up to 200,000 Temporary Residents

One major new measure is a pathway for up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada to become permanent residents by the end of 2027. Of these:

100,000 workers eligible for Express Entry or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) will transition through collaboration with provinces and territories.
The remaining 100,000 have not yet been defined, and further details, including eligibility and whether these admissions are included within the annual 380,000 target, await publication by IRCC.

The budget assigns $302.3 million over four years (starting in 2027-28) and $90.6 million for later years to implement this pathway. Additional funding of $151.5 million over five years is proposed for Employment and Social Development Canada to revamp the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, aiming to better match regional labor needs, improve processing, and enforce employer compliance.

Unpublished Details and Next Steps

The 2027-2029 plan currently provides only overall targets. Still to be published are targets by category (such as economic, family, refugees, and humanitarian), program-level allocations, and the breakdown between temporary workers and students. The division of temporary arrivals and specific targets for Federal High Skilled or PNP will be disclosed in the 2026 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration.

The government’s stated goal remains to reduce temporary residents below 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027. As of July 1, 2026, Statistics Canada estimated the national population at 41,798,407, with a 0.5% year-over-year growth rate—the lowest since 1944-45.

Implications for Immigration Applicants

With the overall immigration targets unchanged and a new pathway for temporary residents within Canada, competition for permanent residency is expected to remain stable. In-Canada candidates may continue to have an advantage, particularly through the Express Entry and PNP programs. Eligibility for the special 200,000-person pathway will be clarified when additional details are released, and prospective applicants are advised to seek guidance from licensed immigration professionals.