Short answer: for 2026 Canada is holding permanent-resident admissions steady at about 380,000 a year (2026 through 2028) while sharply cutting the number of temporary residents, it has expanded Express Entry to ten occupation-based categories, lowered the international-student cap, and raised several application fees as of April 30, 2026. This guide explains each change in plain language with dates, and flags what is announced versus still pending. Immigration figures change often, so this is educational information, not legal advice, and you should confirm any number that affects you on canada.ca or with a licensed representative before you act.
2026 Immigration Targets: About 380,000 New Permanent Residents
Canada's 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan, released alongside Budget 2025, holds permanent-resident admissions steady at roughly 380,000 each year in 2026, 2027 and 2028. That is well below the 485,000 target that had been set for 2024, and it follows the earlier 2025 to 2027 plan that first lowered targets to about 395,000 for 2025. The stated goal is to give housing, health care and other public services time to catch up. Because the government revises these targets in each annual plan, you should confirm the current figures on canada.ca before relying on them.
The bigger shift for 2026 is on the temporary side. For the first time the Levels Plan also sets targets for temporary residents (international students plus temporary workers), aiming to bring the temporary-resident population down to under 5 percent of Canada's population by the end of 2027. Planned new temporary-resident arrivals fall to about 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. What this means for you: study permits, work permits and visitor visas are being managed more tightly than in the past, so applying early and meeting every requirement matters more than it used to.
Permanent residence is allocated across three broad categories:
- ✓ Economic Class: Express Entry, PNP, Atlantic Immigration Program, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot successors, Agri-Food Pilot
- ✓ Family Class: Spousal sponsorship, parent and grandparent program, dependent children
- ✓ Humanitarian and Protected Persons: Refugees, protected persons, humanitarian and compassionate applications
Key insight: Key insight: Lower PR targets mean Express Entry CRS cutoff scores are generally trending upward as fewer invitations are issued in each draw. Use the CRS Calculator to estimate your score and competitiveness. CRS Calculator
Express Entry 2026: Ten Category-Based Selection Streams
Category-based Express Entry selection, which IRCC first used in 2023, continues and expands in 2026. These draws invite candidates who fall into a chosen occupation or French-language category, regardless of how their overall CRS score compares to a general draw, which can create a pathway for strong candidates whose total score sits below the general cutoff. For 2026 IRCC announced (Feb. 18, 2026) that it would run draws across ten categories, including five new ones, and raised the minimum eligible work experience for the renewed categories to one year.
For 2026 IRCC announced these category-based selection groups (verify the exact eligible occupations on canada.ca):
- ✓ Healthcare and social services, for example nurses, physicians and allied health and social-service roles
- ✓ STEM occupations, for example engineers, software and data professionals
- ✓ Trades occupations, for example electricians, plumbers and carpenters
- ✓ Education occupations, for example teachers and early-childhood educators
- ✓ French-language proficiency, strong French ability (outside Quebec)
- ✓ Physicians (new for 2026), a dedicated category for foreign-trained doctors
- ✓ Senior managers (new for 2026), for example senior business and operations leaders
- ✓ Researchers (new for 2026), candidates with Canadian research work experience
- ✓ Transport occupations (new for 2026), for example pilots and aircraft mechanics
- ✓ Skilled military recruits (new for 2026), certain highly skilled people recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces
General draws (open to all Express Entry candidates regardless of occupation) continue alongside category draws. Category-draw cutoffs are often lower than general-draw cutoffs, which is why a strong occupational profile can matter as much as a high overall score. Note that bonus CRS points for a job offer were removed on March 25, 2025, so a Canadian job offer no longer adds 50 or 200 points the way it once did.
IRCC does not publish a fixed calendar for which category it will draw next, the timing and size of each draw are announced at IRCC's discretion. You can view the official draw history on canada.ca and estimate where you stand with the CRS Calculator. CRS Calculator.
Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP): Still Closed
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not accepting new sponsors for 2026. IRCC has confirmed it will not open a new PGP intake this year and is instead focusing on processing applications already in the queue from earlier lottery rounds. It has not announced when a new intake or invitation round will open, so monitor canada.ca for any announcement.
The Super Visa is the main alternative for parents and grandparents who want to spend extended time in Canada while the PGP is closed:
- ✓ Allows stays of up to 5 years per entry (extended from 2 years in 2022)
- ✓ Issued as a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years
- ✓ Requires proof of medical insurance, generally at least $100,000 CAD in coverage valid for a year (confirm the current minimum on canada.ca)
- ✓ The inviting child or grandchild must meet a minimum income requirement
Monitor IRCC.gc.ca for PGP intake announcements. When PGP reopens, the application window historically fills within hours.
Study Permits: Cap and PAL System
Canada introduced an international-student cap and a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) system in 2024, and the framework continues, with lower numbers, into 2026:
- ! 2026 cap: IRCC set a target of up to about 408,000 study permits for 2026, roughly 7 percent below the 437,000 target for 2025, with provincial and territorial allocations. Confirm current figures on canada.ca.
- ! PAL/TAL requirement: Most college and undergraduate applicants must include a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) from the destination province or territory when they apply.
- ! Exempt from PAL/TAL: For 2026, graduate (master's and PhD) students were added to the exemptions, joining primary and secondary students, certain visiting and exchange students, and some other categories.
- ! Off-campus work hours: Eligible students can work up to 24 hours per week off campus during academic sessions (raised from 20 hours in late 2024), and full-time during scheduled breaks. Confirm the current limit on canada.ca, as the temporary policy has had set end dates.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility rules have also tightened: your program, field of study and institution type all affect whether you qualify, and some applicants must also meet a language requirement. Check PGWP eligibility before you enrol and again before you apply, not after graduation.
Work Permit Changes in 2026
Key work permit changes and issues to know for 2026:
- ✓Low-wage LMIA limits: A cap generally limits low-wage Temporary Foreign Worker positions to about 10 percent of a worksite's staff (higher in some sectors). Separately, since late 2024 the government refuses to process low-wage LMIA applications in census metropolitan areas with unemployment of 6 percent or higher, and updates the affected-areas list roughly quarterly. Check the current ESDC list before relying on a low-wage LMIA.
- ✓No more flagpoling for most: Since December 23, 2024, most foreign nationals can no longer "flagpole," that is, leave and immediately re-enter at a land border to get same-day work or study permit processing. Most must apply online instead, though narrow exceptions remain (for example certain free-trade-agreement professionals).
- ✓Open Work Permits are narrower: The broad pandemic-era open work permits have ended. Open work permit eligibility is now more limited, covering situations such as certain spousal applicants, post-graduation permit holders and some vulnerable-worker cases.
- ✓CUSMA (USMCA): Work permits for eligible American and Mexican professionals under CUSMA remain available without an LMIA. See our CUSMA Work Permit Guide.
- ✓IEC Working Holiday: International Experience Canada quotas and eligible countries change each year. Check canada.ca for 2026 quotas and pool-opening dates for your country.
TRP Fees and IRCC Fee Changes
IRCC adjusts application fees periodically, and several permanent-residence fees increased on April 30, 2026. Always verify the current amount on canada.ca before you pay. Key 2026 fees to check (amounts in CAD):
- • Study permit: $150
- • Work permit: $155 per person
- • Visitor visa (TRV): $100
- • Biometrics: $85 per person ($170 maximum per family)
- • Economic-class PR processing fee: $990 per adult applicant as of April 30, 2026 (up from $950); accompanying dependent child $270 (up from $260)
- • Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF): $600 per person as of April 30, 2026 (up from $575), paid before you become a permanent resident
Use the Fee Calculator to estimate total costs for your application type. Fee Calculator
What to Watch in 2026
PGP reopening
No new Parents and Grandparents intake is planned for 2026. Watch canada.ca for any announcement of a future intake or invitation round.
Express Entry draw mix
IRCC runs ten categories for 2026 and decides timing draw by draw. Watch which categories are invited and how cutoffs move.
Temporary-resident reduction
The plan aims to bring temporary residents below 5 percent of the population by the end of 2027, so study, work and visitor processing stays competitive.
PGWP eligibility
Confirm whether your program, institution and field of study still qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, and any language requirement, before you enrol.
Low-wage LMIA refusal list
The list of census metropolitan areas where low-wage LMIAs are not processed updates roughly quarterly. Check the current ESDC list if your job offer relies on one.
Fee changes
Several PR fees rose on April 30, 2026. Re-check the exact amount on canada.ca before you pay, since deferred fees are charged at the current rate.
Find the right program for you
Use the Program Finder to see which 2026 immigration pathways match your profile: Express Entry, PNP, work permit, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Canada's 2026 immigration target?+
Canada's 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan holds permanent-resident admissions at about 380,000 a year through 2028, below the 485,000 once targeted for 2024. The plan also, for the first time, sets targets to reduce the temporary-resident population to under 5 percent of the population by the end of 2027. Confirm current figures on canada.ca.
Is Express Entry still active in 2026?+
Yes. Express Entry remains Canada's main economic immigration system. IRCC runs general draws and category-based draws across ten categories for 2026, including five new ones (physicians, senior managers, researchers, transport occupations and skilled military recruits). CRS cutoffs change with each draw's type and size.
Can I apply for the Parents and Grandparents Program in 2026?+
No new PGP intake is open for 2026; IRCC is focusing on applications already in the queue. The Super Visa is the main option for extended parental visits in the meantime. Watch canada.ca for any future intake announcement, as they can come with little notice.
Are study permit rules stricter in 2026?+
Yes. The student cap continues, with a 2026 target of up to about 408,000 study permits, down roughly 7 percent from 437,000 in 2025. Most college and undergraduate applicants need a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter; for 2026, graduate students were added to the exemptions. Verify the current cap and rules on canada.ca.
Do bonus CRS points for a job offer still exist in 2026?+
No. On March 25, 2025, IRCC removed the bonus CRS points for arranged employment, which previously added 50 points (or 200 for some senior roles). A Canadian job offer can still help your application in other ways, but it no longer boosts your CRS score directly.
What changed about flagpoling in 2026?+
Since December 23, 2024, most foreign nationals can no longer flagpole, meaning they cannot leave Canada and re-enter at a land border to get a same-day work or study permit decision. Most people must apply online instead. A few narrow exceptions remain, such as certain free-trade-agreement professionals.
How much are the 2026 permanent-residence fees?+
As of April 30, 2026, the economic-class processing fee is $990 per adult applicant (up from $950) and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee is $600 per person (up from $575). Amounts can change, so confirm the current fee on canada.ca before you pay, including any fee you deferred earlier.
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.