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Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan
On November 5, 2026, IRCC announced its new 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan. The new plan carries over many of the same priorities from the previous 2025-2027 plan, including attracting more French-speaking immigrants, bringing in skilled workers and addressing labour shortages across Canada. Overall, Canada is looking to better manage immigration levels while making sure newcomers help meet the country’s workforce needs, particularly in smaller communities.
Permanent Resident Admissions
Permanent resident targets will remain the same as in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan. Canada plans to welcome 380,000 new permanent residents each year from 2027 to 2029, keeping the target the same for all three years. Just like the previous plan, economic immigration will make up the largest share, with majority of admissions going to skilled workers and other economic immigrants. Family sponsorship will account for about 20 percent of admissions, followed by refugees and protected persons at around thirteen percent. The remaining spots will go toward humanitarian and other immigration programs. This means Canada is continuing to welcome skilled workers, families and those seeking protection, while keeping permanent resident numbers steady.
Increase in French-Speaking Immigration
Canada is also looking to welcome more French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec over the next three years. The target will increase from 9.5% of permanent resident admissions in 2027 to 10.5% in 2028 and finally 12% by 2029. That means approximately 31,825 French-speaking newcomers will be welcomed in 2027 and 40,200 by 2029.
We’ve already seen this priority reflected in recent Express Entry draws. In October 2026, IRCC held two French-language category draws, each inviting 5,000 candidates. Express Entry Draw #452 had a CRS cut-off of just 407 points, while the October 16 draw had a cut-off of 435 points. These draws show that French-language proficiency can open up another opportunity for candidates who may not receive an invitation through general or other category-based draws.
Temporary Resident Reduction
As we saw in the previous 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada was focused on reducing the number of temporary residents in the country. The new 2027-2029 plan continues that same approach for temporary resident arrivals, but instead of further reducing arrivals each year, Canada plans to keep new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 annually. This includes 150,000 international students and 220,000 temporary workers each year.
Temporary Foreign Workers
Of the 220,000 temporary workers Canada plans to welcome each year, the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan indicates that 170,000 will come through the International Mobility Program, while the remaining 50,000 will come through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. This is a decrease for the TFWP compared to the previous 2025–2027 plan, which had an annual target of 82,000 workers. This is an important distinction for both employers looking to hire foreign workers and individuals hoping to come to Canada through a work permit.
Economic Immigration and Skilled Workers
Economic immigration continues to make up the largest share of Canada’s permanent resident admissions, with nearly two-thirds of all spots going to economic immigrants. Canada plans to continue focusing on skilled workers who can help fill labour shortages, using programs like Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program to attract candidates with the skills and experience the country needs.
The Federal High Skilled category, which includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program, will have a target of 100,000 admissions annually. For anyone hoping to immigrate through Express Entry, this reinforces the importance of having a strong profile, relevant work experience and the language skills needed to qualify.
As of November 3, 2026, candidates can receive additional CRS points for eligible Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation or for having a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. Another important change is that an LMIA is no longer required for a qualifying job offer to receive these points.
People Already in Canada
Another update in the new immigration levels plan is a temporary measure planned for 2027 to help certain people who are already living in Canada transition to permanent residence. This includes some workers and their accompanying family members, with provinces and territories helping identify candidates, as well as individuals who have been waiting for years for permanent residence on humanitarian grounds. Canada will also continue its previously announced initiatives to transition up to 115,000 protected persons and 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residence. These measures are particularly important for people who are already established in Canada and hoping to make their stay permanent. However, the new measure is limited to certain groups and does not mean that all temporary residents will have a new pathway to permanent residence.
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