Canada's Temporary Resident Cuts in 2026
Canada plans to bring temporary residents below 5 percent of its population by the end of 2027. The 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026: 155,000 students and 230,000 workers, 60,000 of them through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. An officer still decides each application.
385,000
New temporary resident arrivals targeted for 2026
155,000
New international students within that target
230,000
New temporary workers within that target
Under 5%
The goal for temporary residents’ share of the population, by the end of 2027
These are planning targets, and some are published as ranges. Later plans can revise them, so confirm the current numbers on canada.ca.
What is the goal, and by when?
Since 2024 the federal government has been working to lower the number of temporary residents in Canada, a category that mainly covers international students and temporary foreign workers. It cited pressure on housing, health care and services.
Canada’s temporary-resident population grew quickly: study permit holders alone rose from 352,305 in 2015 to about 1,040,000 in 2023. Study permit holders fell to about 725,000 by September 2025.
The central commitment is to reduce the temporary-resident share of Canada’s total population to less than 5 percent. The 2026-2028 plan attaches this goal to the end of 2027. IRCC’s September 2024 announcement had set it for 2026, so the timeline has moved.
The rule
The central commitment is to reduce the temporary-resident share of Canada's total population to less than 5 percent.
What are the arrival targets?
Since the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, temporary residents sit in the same multi-year planning framework that already covered permanent residents. That plan was the first to set targets for new temporary-resident arrivals, and the targets have fallen since: from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026.
| Group | 2026 (2026-2028 plan) | Each of 2027, 2028 and 2029 (2027-2029 plan) |
|---|---|---|
| All new temporary residents | 385,000 (375,000 to 395,000) | 370,000 (355,000 to 385,000) |
| International students | 155,000 | 150,000 |
| Temporary workers | 230,000 | 220,000 |
| International Mobility Program | 170,000 | 170,000 |
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program | 60,000 | 50,000 |
The 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, published by IRCC on November 5, 2026, replaced the 2026-2028 plan’s 2027 and 2028 figures. The government tables a new plan every year, and each plan covers three years, so later-year figures can move before those years begin.
What changes for international students?
Canada introduced a national cap on study permit applications in 2024 and has continued tightening it. The 155,000 student figure counts new arrivals only. IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, extensions included, against a target of 437,000 in 2025.
The cap is divided among the provinces and territories, which each receive an allocation. Provinces then distribute their share among designated learning institutions.
Approval is never guaranteed by an attestation or allocation alone. A visa officer still assesses each application against all the study-permit requirements.
Who needs a Provincial Attestation Letter in 2026?
Most new study-permit applicants must include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), a document from the province or territory confirming that the applicant is counted within that region’s allocation under the cap. For Quebec, the applicant instead needs an attestation of issuance of the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), issued by the Government of Quebec.
IRCC confirms that, as of January 1, 2026, students in degree-granting master’s and doctoral programs at public designated learning institutions no longer need to submit a PAL.
Other groups have generally been exempt as well:
- Certain students extending an existing permit at the same institution and level
- Exchange students under an institutional exchange who pay no tuition to the school
- Certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts
What changes for temporary workers?
Canada’s foreign-worker system has two main streams. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) usually requires an employer to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The International Mobility Program (IMP) covers LMIA-exempt categories.
The 2026-2028 plan reduces LMIA-based admissions under the TFWP, with the 2026 target set at 60,000, down from 82,000 a year in the 2025-2027 plan.
Several specific rules are now in force:
- ESDC requires an employer to advertise a low-wage job for at least 8 consecutive weeks within the 3 months before applying for an LMIA, and a high-wage job for at least 4.
- A low-wage employer must also recruit from at least two under-represented groups.
- ESDC does not process certain low-wage LMIA applications in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6 percent or more.
- Only some spouses of temporary workers qualify for an open work permit. It depends on the worker’s TEER level (TEER 0 or 1, or listed TEER 2 and 3 occupations) and at least 16 months left on the worker’s permit when the spouse applies.
IRCC publishes the Immigration Levels Plan, the study-permit cap and provincial allocations, and the IMP’s rules on canada.ca. ESDC publishes the TFWP’s LMIA rules there, and IRCC issues news notices when figures or requirements change.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Pathway ExplorerWhich programs to read about, from a few answers
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What is Canada's temporary resident target for 2026?
The 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026, within a range of 375,000 to 395,000. The 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, published November 5, 2026, sets 370,000 in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The government's stated goal is to bring temporary residents below 5 percent of Canada's population by the end of 2027. Later plans can revise these targets. The Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028 guide breaks down every category.
Who counts as a temporary resident?
Temporary residents are people in Canada on temporary status, mainly international students and temporary foreign workers, plus other permit holders. Permanent residents and Canadian citizens sit outside the less-than-5-percent goal. The Levels Plan counts new temporary arrivals in two groups, students and workers, and sets a target for each. The Study Permit guide and the Work Permit guide explain what each status allows.
How many new international students will Canada accept in 2026?
The Levels Plan targets 155,000 newly arriving international students in 2026, and the 2027-2029 plan sets 150,000 in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029. IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, a larger figure because it also counts extensions for students already in Canada. Check which number a source quotes. The Provincial Attestation Letter guide explains how each province shares out its part of the cap.
Do I still need a Provincial Attestation Letter in 2026?
Most new study permit applicants still need one. IRCC exempts students in a degree-granting master's or doctoral program at a public designated learning institution, starting January 1, 2026. Other exempt groups include primary and secondary students, exchange students who pay no tuition, and some students extending at the same school and level. The Provincial Attestation Letter guide lists who needs one and what to send instead.
Are temporary foreign workers being cut too?
Yes. The Levels Plan targets 230,000 new temporary worker arrivals in 2026: 170,000 through the International Mobility Program and 60,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which usually needs an LMIA. The 2027-2029 plan sets 220,000 in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029 (170,000 and 50,000). Rules for employers have tightened as well. The Work Permit guide explains the two programs and which one covers a job.
Will the cuts affect my chance of permanent residence?
The cuts change the temporary pipeline, while the permanent resident target stays at 380,000 in 2026 and, under the 2027-2029 plan, in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The 2025-2027 plan expected more than 40% of permanent resident admissions in 2025 to be students or workers already in Canada. Each program's own rules still decide who is invited. The Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028 guide shows the permanent targets by category.
Why do the numbers and dates keep changing?
They are planning targets, and each new Levels Plan can revise them. The government tables a new plan every year, and each plan covers three years, so later-year figures can move before those years begin: the 2027-2029 plan, published November 5, 2026, replaced the 2026-2028 plan's 2027 and 2028 figures. The 2026-2028 plan ties the less-than-5-percent goal to the end of 2027. The Canada Immigration in 2026 guide tracks what changed this year across the system.
Part of:Studying in Canada
- How to Study in Canada: Complete Study Permit Guide 2026
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Guide 2026
- Study Permit Proof of Funds 2026: How Much Money You Need
The textbook on this subject
Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79
The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.
- IRCC: Immigration Levels Plan
- IRCC: Immigrate through Express Entry
- IRCC: Study permit
- IRCC: Supplementary information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (November 5, 2026)
- IRCC: Supplementary information for the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan
- IRCC: Provincial or territorial attestation letter
- IRCC: Strengthening temporary residence programs for sustainable volumes (September 2024)
- IRCC: Additional information about International Student Program reforms
- IRCC: 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap
- ESDC: Program requirements for low-wage positions
- ESDC: Program requirements for high-wage positions
- IRCC: CIMM briefing, Temporary Foreign Workers (March 23, 2026)