Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is expected by 4 p.m. Toronto time today, November 5, as part of the federal budget. The exact release time has not been confirmed.
The current 2026–2028 plan stabilized permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year while sharply reducing planned new temporary resident arrivals.
The new plan may confirm or adjust the existing 2027 and 2028 figures and set the first official targets for 2029. Until IRCC publishes it, the figures below remain the current plan.
Latest developments, research and political reaction · Toronto time This is a developing story. We will add the government’s detailed permanent and temporary immigration targets here once they are announced. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner is calling for sharply lower immigration targets ahead of the new Immigration Levels Plan, arguing that admissions should reflect Canada’s housing supply, health-care capacity and job creation. In a seven-point critique, she urged scrutiny of additional permanent residence initiatives outside headline targets, government charts, differences between permit issuance and arrival targets, and comparisons with historically high immigration years. She also questioned population estimates, tracking of temporary residents and how expired or expiring immigration status is considered in planning. Rempel Garner called for complete, transparent reporting and criticized policies she says benefit employers seeking inexpensive foreign labour at the expense of Canadian and immigrant workers. The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, François-Philippe Champagne, at 3:40 p.m. Toronto time, prior to tabling Budget 2026. This scheduled pre-budget meeting does not specify a separate release time for the immigration target tables. Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is expected by 4 p.m. Toronto time today, November 5, as part of the federal budget. The exact release time has not been confirmed. A national survey of 1,058 adults found 46% preferred provinces to have most or all decision-making power over immigration numbers for their province; 31% favoured an equal federal-provincial role and 21% leaned toward federal leadership. The margin of error was ±3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The annual immigration levels update will be included in the federal budget being released Thursday, a government source with knowledge of the plan confirmed. The Canadian Press reported that a government source expected the annual immigration levels update to be included in the federal budget. The report identified the expected release vehicle but did not disclose any new targets. The 2026 Focus Canada findings report that 48% of Canadians think there is too much immigration and an equal 48% disagree. Separately, 75% say immigration has a positive effect on the economy, and 68% reject the claim that immigrants take jobs away from other Canadians. In question period, Poilievre said immigrants themselves were not to blame and criticized the federal government’s management of the system. He questioned how the government could justify bringing in more people while it could not account for temporary residents. These were his political claims, not official findings. The Conservative immigration critic called for lower permanent resident admissions, temporary resident exit tracking and more collaboration with provinces. She also blamed federal policy for a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment. These are Conservative proposals, not government targets. At her October 16 press conference in Kitchener, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab signalled a possible increase, citing slow population growth and the government's economic ambitions. She said Canada would need people from abroad to fill labour gaps. She gave no target figures and did not specify whether an increase would cover permanent residents, temporary residents or both. The Bank said an aging population and fewer arrivals are changing Canada’s workforce, demand and productive capacity. It noted immigration policy is set by government; its analysis discusses economic and inflation effects rather than recommending admission targets. Prime Minister Mark Carney suggested a "controlled increase" in the country's population could be on the way in a recent interview with the New… In a New York Times interview reported by The Canadian Press on September 29, Mark Carney said the question was when Canada would resume a controlled increase in population after bringing immigration under control. He did not announce new admission targets or a date for an increase.Live updates
Immigration targets to come
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3:40 p.m. — Prime Minister to meet Champagne before the budget
Immigration Levels Plan expected by 4 p.m. Toronto time today
Nanos survey finds Canadians lean toward provincial input on immigration
Budget 2026 to include update on immigration levels, sources say
Immigration levels update expected with Thursday’s federal budget
Environics and TMU report divided views on immigration levels
Poilievre questions the case for increasing immigration
Rempel Garner calls for lower immigration levels and temporary-resident exit tracking
Diab signals a possible increase ahead of the new levels plan
Bank of Canada explains how lower immigration is reshaping the economy
Immigration increase could be on the horizon, Carney suggests in interview
Carney signals a future controlled increase in population
Pre-budget background: the reporting below predates the November 5, 2026 budget. Figures for 2026–2028 refer to the previous immigration levels plan.
What INC expects from the new Immigration Levels Plan
INC’s earlier analysis points to competing signals ahead of the announcement. Carney and Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab have suggested the government may move toward controlled population growth, while the current plan still sets permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year and aims to reduce the temporary resident population to below 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.
That leaves several questions for the new plan: whether permanent resident admissions rise, remain stable or fall; whether the government changes the temporary resident reduction path; and how it distributes spaces among economic immigration, family reunification, refugees and other categories. The 2027–2029 plan will also provide the first official targets for 2029.
These are questions and expectations drawn from previously published reporting, not confirmed outcomes. The figures announced by IRCC will determine the actual targets.
Current Canada Immigration Levels For 2026 To 2028
IRCC’s current plan, released on November 4, 2025, covers both permanent resident admissions and new arrivals of temporary workers and international students. The permanent resident figures for 2027 and 2028 are described as notional targets that may be confirmed or adjusted in the next plan. Temporary resident targets also cover new arrivals only; they do not count permit extensions or visitors.
Permanent resident admissions
The overall target remains 380,000 permanent residents in each of the three years, with a planning range of 350,000 to 420,000 annually. Economic immigration makes up the largest share, while the plan also sets spaces for family reunification, refugees and protected persons, and humanitarian and other admissions.
| Permanent resident category | 2026 target | 2027 target | 2028 target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall admissions | 380,000 | 380,000 | 380,000 |
| Economic | 239,800 | 244,700 | 244,700 |
| Family | 84,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 |
| Refugees and protected persons | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
| Humanitarian and other | 6,900 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| French-speaking admissions outside Quebec | 9% (30,267) | 9.5% (31,825) | 10.5% (35,175) |
The economic category includes Federal High Skilled admissions of 109,000 in 2026 and 111,000 in each of 2027 and 2028, plus Provincial Nominee Program targets of 91,500 in 2026 and 92,500 in each following year. These are national admissions planning figures; they do not set individual Express Entry draw sizes or provincial nomination rounds.
New temporary resident arrivals
The plan’s overall targets for new temporary resident arrivals are 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028. The target is split between temporary workers and international students:
| New temporary resident arrivals | 2026 target | 2027 target | 2028 target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall arrivals | 385,000 | 370,000 | 370,000 |
| Workers | 230,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| International students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
Within the worker totals, the International Mobility Program target is 170,000 in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program target is 60,000 in 2026 and 50,000 in each of 2027 and 2028. The student targets refer to new arrivals studying for at least six months at designated learning institutions.
Additional one-time transition initiatives
IRCC also announced two temporary initiatives alongside the main plan. The government intends to transition approximately 115,000 protected persons already in Canada to permanent residence over two years; these admissions are additional to the main permanent resident targets. It also plans to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027. These initiatives should not be added to the annual category table as if they were ordinary target increases.
The government’s stated objective is to bring the temporary resident population below 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027, while prioritizing economic immigration and maintaining family reunification and humanitarian commitments. The next plan will clarify how those goals translate into updated admission levels.
Source: IRCC Supplementary Information for the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Targets are planning figures and may be revised in the next plan.
What earlier INC reporting says to watch
Permanent resident targets and Express Entry
INC’s outlook has identified the Federal High Skilled and Provincial Nominee Program allocations as key figures for permanent residence candidates. Any increase could create room for more admissions, but it would not automatically determine Express Entry draw sizes or CRS cutoffs; category allocations, the candidate pool and IRCC’s operational choices also matter. Read INC’s detailed 2027–2029 plan outlook.
Temporary residents and the population target
The current plan targets 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2027 and 2028 and includes a goal of bringing non-permanent residents below 5% of the population by the end of 2027. Earlier INC coverage noted that the new plan will show whether Ottawa maintains that reduction path or adjusts it in response to labour needs and population trends. Read INC’s report on the government’s recent signals.
Political proposals are not government targets
Conservative representatives have called for lower immigration levels and changes to how targets are set, but those proposals do not change current admissions targets. The government’s plan, once published, will establish federal policy. INC’s previous coverage reviewed the proposals and the issues they raise for the coming announcement. Read INC’s coverage of the Conservative proposals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Immigration Levels Plan?
It sets the government’s planned immigration admissions over a three-year period. The detailed tables show category targets and planning ranges.
Where are the official targets published?
IRCC publishes the official levels-plan information on Canada.ca. The source link alongside the detailed tables leads to the government’s publication.
Does the plan cover temporary residents?
The levels plan covers new temporary resident arrivals as well as permanent resident admissions. The government’s footnotes explain the coverage and exclusions.
Does a target determine whether my application qualifies?
A national admission target does not decide an individual application. Eligibility and application decisions follow the relevant program rules and official instructions.
Do targets guarantee an Express Entry invitation?
The levels plan does not guarantee an individual invitation or a particular CRS score. IRCC announces invitation rounds and their criteria separately.
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