What Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan Means in Practice
- Permanent residence numbers are staying high but flat, which means competition remains strong and pathway choice matters more than overall volume.
- Temporary resident growth is being tightened, with more emphasis on controlled transitions from work and study permits to permanent residence.
- One-time transition measures and Francophone targets will quietly shape real outcomes, creating faster movement for some groups even when headline numbers look unchanged.
What the 2026–2028 Plan Is Trying to Do
Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan is designed to slow growth, reduce strain and regain control of intake after several years of aggressive expansion.
Permanent residence targets remain high but largely flat, signaling that immigration stays central to Canada’s strategy without further acceleration.
At the same time, the plan tightens temporary resident growth, shifting focus toward fewer new entries and more structured transitions from temporary status to permanent residence.
Admissions are reweighted toward economic priorities, with stronger alignment to labour market demand, housing capacity and processing limits.
Overall, the plan emphasizes predictability and sequencing: fewer rapid policy swings, clearer multi-year targets and stricter alignment between who enters Canada and how long they remain temporary.
Permanent Residence Targets for 2026 to 2028
Canada’s 2026–2028 plan signals a clear shift away from rapid intake growth and toward managed, predictable volumes. Rather than expanding admissions year over year, the government is holding targets steady or slightly lower across most categories.
The emphasis is on aligning immigration levels with housing availability, processing limits and labour market needs. For applicants, this means competition remains high, timelines matter more and strategy matters more than volume.
Category | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
Overall new temporary arrivals | 385,000 | 370,000 | 370,000 |
Workers total | 230,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
International Mobility Program | 170,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 |
Temporary Foreign Worker Program | 60,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
Students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
How Permanent Residence Spots Are Split by Category
Economic immigration remains the backbone of permanent residence, while family reunification and humanitarian programs are being held relatively stable or slightly reduced.
Rather than expanding overall PR numbers, the government is reallocating space within existing totals. High-skilled workers and provincially selected applicants continue to receive the largest share, while business programs, pilots and family categories are tightly capped. For applicants, this means that where you apply from and under which stream matters more than ever.
The table below shows how permanent residence spots are allocated across economic, family and humanitarian categories from 2026 through 2028.
Class or program | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
Total economic | 239,800 | 244,700 | 244,700 |
Federal high-skilled | 109,000 | 111,000 | 111,000 |
Provincial Nominee Program | 91,500 | 92,500 | 92,500 |
Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
Federal business | 500 | 500 | 500 |
Federal economic pilots bundle | 8,175 | 8,775 | 8,775 |
Total family | 84,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 |
Spouses, partners and children | 69,000 | 66,000 | 66,000 |
Parents and grandparents | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
Total refugees and protected persons | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
Total humanitarian and other | 6,900 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
What Applicants Need to Know About Quebec and Francophone Admissions
Quebec continues to operate outside the federal immigration levels plan and that distinction matters more than many applicants realize. While the federal government sets overall permanent residence targets, Quebec controls its own selection numbers, intake pace and processing priorities through separate agreements and provincial programs.
For 2026–2028, Quebec has signaled a more restrictive and deliberate approach. Intake caps remain tight, processing times are significantly longer than federal equivalents and selection criteria increasingly emphasize French-language ability, regional settlement and labour market alignment.
Applicants pursuing Quebec pathways should expect fewer available spots and longer timelines, particularly for family sponsorship and certain economic streams.
At the same time, the federal government is continuing to expand Francophone immigration outside Quebec, with clearly defined growth targets built into the 2026–2028 plan. IRCC has set a rising admissions share for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec, increasing from 9% in 2026, to 9.5% in 2027 and 10.5% in 2028.
Based on IRCC’s overall admissions planning, these percentages translate into approximately 31,500 Francophone admissions outside Quebec in 2026, about 32,800 in 2027 and roughly 34,000 in 2028.
These admissions are counted within federal economic and humanitarian categories and are intended to strengthen French-speaking communities in provinces such as Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Alberta.
One-Time Transition Measures That Change the Real Impact
While the annual immigration targets give a high-level picture, they don’t tell the whole story. What often matters more on the ground are one-time transition measures that move people who are already in Canada into permanent residence outside the regular yearly targets.
In the 2026–2028 plan, two such measures stand out. Together, they help explain why some applicants may see faster processing or more opportunities to transition, even if overall admission numbers appear stable.
Protected Persons Transition Initiative
The federal government has committed to a one-time initiative to transition approximately 115,000 protected persons already in Canada to permanent residence over two years. Importantly, these admissions are in addition to the regular permanent residence targets set out in the levels plan.
In practical terms, this means IRCC is allocating extra processing capacity to finalize cases for people who already have protected status, rather than pulling those spots from economic, family or humanitarian quotas. For applicants in this group, it can translate into faster movement than historical averages would suggest.
Temporary Worker Transition Initiative
IRCC has also announced a targeted transition pathway for temporary workers, allowing up to 33,000 temporary residents to move to permanent residence across 2026 and 2027 under a dedicated initiative.
This measure is designed to retain workers who are already contributing to the labour market and filling critical gaps. Like the protected persons initiative, these transitions sit alongside the main PR targets and can create additional opportunities for eligible workers without reducing admission numbers in other programs.
What the Plan Doesn’t Count
Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan only counts new permanent resident admissions in a given year. It does not reflect everyone living in Canada temporarily, waiting in the system or transitioning between statuses.
Several large groups are not captured in the annual targets:
Temporary Residents Already in Canada
People in Canada on work permits, study permits or visitor status are not counted in the plan unless and until they become permanent residents. This includes international students, temporary foreign workers, intra-company transferees and spouses on open work permits.
Backlogged and Pending Applications
The plan does not show how many applications are already in inventory or how long people have been waiting. Someone who applied years ago and is finalized in 2026 counts the same as someone who applied recently, even though their experiences are very different.
One-Time Transitions Outside Annual Targets
As discussed above, initiatives like the protected persons transition and targeted temporary worker pathways operate in addition to the baseline numbers. These movements affect real processing capacity, but don’t always show up clearly in headline targets.
Temporary Resident Inflows
The Levels Plan doesn’t cap or fully reflect temporary resident arrivals such as students or workers entering Canada each year. Those decisions are influenced by separate policies, caps and program rules that sit outside the PR targets.
Plan Ahead Under the New Immigration Targets
Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan signals a more controlled and deliberate approach. Permanent residence remains a priority, but flat targets, tighter temporary resident growth and selective transition measures mean there is less room for guesswork.
For applicants and employers, outcomes will depend more on timing, pathway choice and how well each step is sequenced. The right strategy early on can make the difference between steady progress and long delays.
At Ackah Business Immigration Law, we help individuals, families and businesses turn multi-year immigration targets into practical, realistic plans. If you would like guidance tailored to your situation, we invite you to book a call with one of our client engagement coordinators.
