The Immigration Levels Plan is the federal government's roadmap for how many newcomers Canada plans to welcome over the next three years. The 2026-2028 plan, tabled in November 2025, does two notable things. First, it holds permanent resident (PR) admissions roughly flat at about 380,000 per year for 2026, 2027 and 2028, a deliberate move away from earlier growth. Second, and for the second year in a row, it sets targets for temporary residents (international students and workers), not just permanent residents, and commits to lowering the temporary resident share of Canada's population to below 5 percent. The plan also leans further toward economic immigration, which is projected to make up roughly 62 to 64 percent of PR admissions, and toward people already living in Canada transitioning to permanent status. The figures below are drawn from IRCC's published plan and supplementary tables; because governments can adjust these numbers, confirm the current figures on canada.ca before relying on them.
What the Immigration Levels Plan is
Each year the federal government tables an Immigration Levels Plan that sets out how many new permanent residents Canada aims to admit, broken down by category such as economic, family, and refugee or humanitarian. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister presents this plan to Parliament, and it guides how many applications IRCC processes and approves across its various programs during the year.
Two features make the 2026-2028 plan different from older plans. It is a multi-year plan covering three calendar years, which gives applicants and provinces more visibility into where targets are heading. And, continuing a shift that began with the 2025-2027 plan, it includes targets for temporary residents (international students and temporary workers) rather than focusing on permanent residents alone. This matters because temporary residents make up a large share of recent population growth, and the government has said it wants that share to come down.
A target is a planning figure, not a guarantee or a quota you can claim. Admissions in any given year can land slightly above or below target, and the government can revise future-year numbers in later plans. Treat the figures here as a snapshot of the plan as published, and verify the current numbers on canada.ca before making decisions.
Permanent resident targets for 2026-2028
The headline figure is stability. The plan sets permanent resident admissions at roughly 380,000 for each of 2026, 2027 and 2028. That is a deliberate plateau after several years of higher targets, and it is lower than the levels planned in the 2024-2026 plan. The government frames this as a pause to let housing, health care, and other services catch up with recent population growth.
Within that total, economic immigration takes the largest and growing share, projected at roughly 62 to 64 percent of PR admissions over the plan, described by the government as among the highest economic shares in over a decade. Economic admissions flow mainly through Express Entry (Federal High Skilled programs) and the Provincial Nominee Program. Family class admissions remain a significant share, reported in the range of about 21 to 22 percent, and refugee, protected person, and humanitarian admissions make up most of the remainder.
A notable emphasis is on transitions from temporary to permanent status, sometimes called 'in-Canada' admissions, meaning people already living, studying, or working in Canada who become permanent residents. The plan signals that a large portion of economic admissions will come from people already in Canada, and it includes a commitment to help up to about 33,000 temporary workers transition to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027. Confirm the exact category splits in IRCC's supplementary tables, as they are refined over time.
The new temporary resident targets
For only the second year, the plan sets explicit targets for temporary residents, covering both international students and temporary workers. Overall temporary resident arrivals are targeted at roughly 385,000 in 2026 and about 370,000 in each of 2027 and 2028. This is a sharp reduction compared with recent intake, and it reflects the government's stated aim of slowing temporary migration.
Within that total, study permits are targeted at around 155,000 in 2026 (about 150,000 in 2027 and 2028), and work permits at around 230,000 in 2026 (about 220,000 in 2027 and 2028). Reported reductions versus 2025 planning figures are substantial, on the order of roughly half for students and more than a third for workers, though exact baseline comparisons vary by source. Because these are among the most fluid numbers in the plan, confirm the current figures on canada.ca.
What this means in practice: caps on study permits, tighter rules on post-graduation work permits, and limits on some temporary worker streams are the tools the government is using to hit these targets. If you are planning to study or work in Canada temporarily, the broader environment is more competitive than in recent years, so check program-specific rules and timelines carefully.
The under-5-percent goal for temporary residents
A central commitment in the plan is to reduce the share of temporary residents (also called non-permanent residents) in Canada's total population. The government's stated goal is to bring this share below 5 percent. Independent analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Officer has noted that the non-permanent resident share peaked around 7.6 percent in 2024 and projects it falling to just under 5 percent by around the end of 2027 under the plan.
The government plans to reach this in two ways: by admitting fewer new temporary residents (the lower study and work permit targets above), and by transitioning a portion of those already here to permanent residence or having others depart as their status ends. The lower permanent resident targets and the lower temporary targets are therefore linked, both pointing toward slower overall population growth from immigration.
This is a policy goal expressed as a percentage of population, not a hard cap that applies to any individual. It signals direction more than it dictates outcomes for any one applicant. For the most current statements of the goal and the underlying population figures, rely on canada.ca and Statistics Canada rather than secondary summaries.
What the plan means for applicants
If you are aiming for permanent residence through an economic program, the plan's tilt toward economic immigration and toward in-Canada transitions is broadly relevant, but it does not change the eligibility rules for any specific program. Your odds in a given draw depend on factors like your Comprehensive Ranking System score and category-based selection, not directly on the levels plan totals. Flat PR targets can mean steady but competitive draws rather than rapid expansion.
If your path runs through temporary status first, for example studying in Canada and then applying for permanent residence, the lower temporary targets and tighter permit rules mean it is worth planning further ahead and confirming current eligibility for each step. Transition-focused initiatives in the plan may help some temporary workers, but they are limited in size and subject to specific criteria.
Above all, treat the levels plan as context, not as advice about your individual case. The plan tells you the government's intended direction; it does not tell you whether you qualify for a particular program or when you would be invited. For decisions about your situation, confirm the current rules on canada.ca and consider speaking with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer or a regulated CICC consultant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many permanent residents will Canada admit in 2026?
Canada's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets permanent resident admissions at roughly 380,000 for each of 2026, 2027 and 2028. This is a deliberate plateau rather than continued growth. Targets are planning figures, not guarantees, and can be revised, so confirm the current figures on canada.ca.
What is new about including temporary resident targets?
Starting with the 2025-2027 plan and continuing in the 2026-2028 plan, the government sets explicit targets for temporary residents (international students and workers), not just permanent residents. This is meant to manage overall population growth and reduce the temporary resident share of the population.
What is the goal to reduce temporary residents to about 5 percent?
The government has committed to lowering the share of temporary residents (non-permanent residents) in Canada's total population to below 5 percent. The Parliamentary Budget Officer notes this share peaked around 7.6 percent in 2024 and projects it reaching just under 5 percent by around the end of 2027 under the plan.
What are the temporary resident targets for 2026?
Overall temporary resident arrivals are targeted at roughly 385,000 in 2026 and about 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. Within that, study permits are targeted at around 155,000 and work permits at around 230,000 in 2026. These are among the most fluid numbers in the plan, so verify them on canada.ca.
Is most immigration now economic?
Yes, the plan leans further toward economic immigration, projected at roughly 62 to 64 percent of permanent resident admissions over the three years. Economic admissions flow mainly through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program. Family class is reported around 21 to 22 percent, with refugee and humanitarian admissions making up most of the rest.
Does the plan favour people already in Canada?
The plan emphasizes transitions from temporary to permanent status, often called in-Canada admissions, meaning people already studying or working in Canada who become permanent residents. It includes a commitment to help up to about 33,000 temporary workers transition to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027, subject to specific criteria.
Does the levels plan change whether I qualify for a program?
No. The levels plan sets overall admission targets and direction; it does not change the eligibility rules for any specific program. Whether you qualify and when you might be invited depends on program rules and factors like your Comprehensive Ranking System score, not directly on the plan totals.
Where can I confirm the official figures?
Confirm all figures on canada.ca, specifically the Immigration Levels Plan and its supplementary information tables published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Numbers can be revised in later plans, and secondary summaries may lag, so the official IRCC pages and Statistics Canada are the authoritative sources.
Guides
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.