Ottawa holds planned permanent admissions steady for 2027–2029 while proposing a one-time pathway for up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada.
The new three-year immigration plan
Canada's official 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 380,000 permanent resident admissions annually and 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals per year. The temporary figure consists of 220,000 workers and 150,000 international students. Ottawa says the target maintains the direction of its prior plan while responding to employers' workforce needs and pressures on housing and public services. These are planning targets, not guaranteed annual counts of approvals.
A separate pathway for people already in Canada
Budget 2026 proposes an additional, time-limited opportunity to transition up to 200,000 eligible temporary residents already living in Canada to permanent residence by the end of 2027. The measure includes places for workers through economic pathways and other eligible applicants, subject to specific rules and capacity. It should not be described as 200,000 new arrivals from abroad or as automatic permanent residence for every temporary resident. The government says $302.3 million over four years is proposed to help deliver the initiative.
Who could feel the effects
Federal high-skilled immigration targets are 100,000 per year; Provincial Nominee Program targets are 95,000, giving provincial selection a significant role in labour-market planning. The government also targets an increasing share of French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, reaching 12 per cent by 2029. Actual eligibility, application timing and processing order will come through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada instructions. Housing, employment and education impacts depend on location and which people are admitted.
Sources & transparency
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — 2027–2029 Immigration Levels PlanBudget 2026, Chapter 3 — immigration targets and transition proposalOriginal CDN News coverage. Sources are linked for reference.
Request a correction
