Canada has announced a major immigration plan for 2027–2029, including a special measure that could allow up to 200,000 people already living in Canada to obtain permanent residence by the end of 2027.
The new Immigration Levels Plan, released by IRCC on November 5, 2026, maintains the regular annual target of 380,000 permanent residents. However, an upper planning range of 422,000, combined with the additional 200,000-person initiative, has led to reports that Canada could grant permanent residence to as many as 622,000 people in 2027.
The announcement is particularly significant for foreign workers, Express Entry candidates, provincial nominees, refugees, humanitarian applicants and families already established in Canada.
However, the government has not announced 622,000 as its regular annual target. The higher figure represents a possible combined maximum, subject to the implementation of separate immigration measures.
Understanding 622,000 Admissions
The headline figure comes from two different government announcements published on November 5, 2026.
Under the regular 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will target 380,000 permanent resident admissions each year. The government has established a planning range between 352,500 and 422,000.
Separately, Budget 2026 introduces a time-limited initiative providing additional permanent residence opportunities for up to 200,000 people already living in Canada.
This produces the following calculation:
- 422,000: Upper range of the regular 2027 permanent residence plan.
- 200,000: Additional opportunities under the special 2027 transition measure.
- 622,000: Potential combined upper figure.
Using the regular 380,000 target instead of the upper range would produce a combined figure of 580,000.
These are planning calculations, not confirmed final admissions. The additional measure is intended primarily for applicants already residing in Canada, rather than hundreds of thousands of new immigrants arriving from overseas.
New 200,000 PR Measure
One of the most important announcements concerns temporary residents and other eligible people who have spent considerable time living in Canada.
The federal government intends to help up to 200,000 people transition to permanent residence by the end of 2027. IRCC has divided this measure into two major groups.
100,000 Skilled Workers
The first group provides additional permanent residence opportunities for up to 100,000 workers already in Canada, together with accompanying family members under the applicable arrangements.
This initiative will operate in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments.
It will support people whose qualifications and employment experience meet Canadian labour market needs, particularly in regions facing shortages of skilled workers.
Important immigration pathways include:
- Express Entry and eligible federal economic programs.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
- Atlantic Immigration Program.
- Selected applications under federal business immigration programs.
- Agri-Food Pilot applications.
- Home care worker immigration programs.
Provinces and territories will receive additional nomination opportunities to identify foreign workers needed in their local economies.
They may also identify eligible applicants who have already submitted permanent residence applications under selected federal programs, including some programs that are no longer accepting new applications.
This is particularly relevant for applicants whose permanent residence applications have remained pending for an extended period.
Important: The announcement does not mean every temporary foreign worker will automatically receive permanent residence. Applicants must meet the applicable program requirements, and further implementation instructions will determine how additional spaces are allocated.
100,000 Humanitarian Applicants
The second group provides additional opportunities for up to 100,000 people through a humanitarian-focused cohort.
According to IRCC, this measure will help people already living in Canada who have faced long delays while waiting for permanent residence decisions.
The government plans to use the additional processing capacity to address several outstanding immigration commitments.
These include:
- Remaining applications under Canada’s Hong Kong permanent residence pathways.
- Applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.
- Applicants already found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
- Certain in-Canada family reunification applications.
IRCC has also stated that additional admissions space will allow it to process permanent residence applications from eligible spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents already living in Canada.
The government expects this measure to help bring processing times for the spouse or common-law partner class closer to 12 months for applicants destined for provinces and territories outside Quebec.
However, the 12-month figure is an objective rather than a guaranteed processing time for every applicant.
Immigration Targets 2027–2029
Canada has decided to maintain consistent regular immigration targets throughout the three-year period.
| Immigration category | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
| Permanent residents | 380,000 | 380,000 | 380,000 |
| Economic immigration | 244,700 | 244,700 | 244,700 |
| Family reunification | 81,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 |
| Refugees and protected persons | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
| Humanitarian and other | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| New temporary workers | 220,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| New international students | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
The regular permanent residence target includes the economic, family, refugee and humanitarian categories. Temporary worker and international student arrivals are separate figures and should not be added to the permanent residence target as though they were PR approvals.
The figures for 2028 and 2029 are forward-looking and may be adjusted through subsequent annual plans.
Economic Immigration Priorities
Economic immigration remains the largest component of Canada’s regular permanent residence program.
The government has allocated 244,700 annual places, representing approximately 64.4% of its regular permanent residence target.
This category includes skilled workers, provincial nominees, entrepreneurs, caregivers and applicants under regional immigration programs.
The principal economic immigration targets are:
| Immigration program | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
| Federal High Skilled | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 95,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 |
| Federal Economic Pilots | 7,900 | 6,175 | 7,400 |
| Rural Community Immigration | 5,500 | 6,000 | 6,500 |
| Atlantic Immigration | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Federal Business | 1,500 | 2,725 | 1,000 |
These are components of the economic immigration target, not additional places on top of the 244,700 annual total. Quebec economic immigration is also accounted for within the broader economic category, with its selection arrangements governed separately.
Express Entry Opportunities
Federal High Skilled admissions will remain at 100,000 annually. This category includes the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Canada continues to emphasize candidates whose qualifications, work experience and language abilities correspond with economic priorities.
The government is also advancing reforms to Express Entry, including changes affecting federal economic programs and the Comprehensive Ranking System.
Nevertheless, the 2027–2029 Levels Plan is primarily an admissions plan. It does not, by itself, establish a new CRS cut-off score, guarantee an invitation or announce universal eligibility changes.
Provincial Nominee Program
The regular PNP target is 95,000 admissions annually between 2027 and 2029. In addition to the regular target, the temporary 2027 workforce measure will provide additional provincial and territorial opportunities to identify eligible workers already living in Canada.
This could be particularly important for applicants employed in smaller cities and regional labour markets.
Selection will depend on provincial priorities, individual eligibility and the allocation of additional nomination spaces.
Family Immigration Targets
Canada will allocate 81,000 regular permanent residence admissions annually to family reunification.
Of these:
- 66,000 are planned for spouses, partners and children.
- 15,000 are planned for parents and grandparents.
The special 2027 measure may also support certain family applications already being processed inside Canada, particularly those involving spouses, common-law partners and dependent children.
However, the allocation of admissions places does not automatically reopen a sponsorship program or remove eligibility and sponsorship requirements.
Applicants should continue following the specific instructions applicable to their family immigration category.
Refugees and Protection
Canada has allocated 49,300 permanent residence places annually for refugees and protected persons.
The annual breakdown includes 20,000 places for protected persons in Canada and dependants abroad, 11,750 for government-assisted refugees and 17,550 for privately sponsored refugees.
An additional 5,000 places are allocated annually to humanitarian, compassionate and other admissions within the regular plan.
These regular allocations should be distinguished from the new time-limited humanitarian measure and previously announced special initiatives.
Previous 148,000 Commitment
Another important element involves immigration measures first announced in Budget 2025.
Canada had previously committed to accelerating permanent residence for two groups during 2026 and 2027:
- 115,000 protected persons in Canada and eligible in-Canada dependants.
- 33,000 in-Canada workers under a separate workforce initiative.
Together, these represent commitments covering up to 148,000 people.
IRCC’s figures available as of August 31, 2026, showed approximately 31,300 admissions under the protected persons initiative and 15,100 under the workers initiative.
This indicates that a substantial number of admissions remained to be completed under those earlier commitments.
The government intends to continue implementing them in 2027.
An important issue remains unresolved: official documents do not clearly establish whether all remaining admissions under these previous initiatives will be counted separately from the new 200,000-person measure.
Therefore, it would be premature to add every outstanding commitment together and announce a larger guaranteed immigration total.
International Student Targets
For international students planning to study in Canada, the new plan provides annual targets of 150,000 new student arrivals from 2027 through 2029.
These targets relate to new arrivals under Canada’s international student program.
They do not represent the total number of international students already studying in Canada.
Neither do they mean that every student whose application is approved will necessarily count as a new arrival in the relevant year.
Students applying for study permits must still satisfy the requirements applicable to their chosen institutions and programs.
The announcement also does not create automatic permanent residence eligibility for international graduates.
Former international students may qualify through existing economic immigration pathways if they meet the relevant requirements.
Temporary Worker Targets
Canada will maintain an annual target of 220,000 new temporary worker arrivals.
This figure consists of two programs:
International Mobility Program: 170,000
The International Mobility Program includes various categories of work permits that do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Temporary Foreign Worker Program: 50,000
This program generally allows Canadian employers to recruit foreign workers where applicable labour market requirements have been satisfied, often through an LMIA.
Together with the 150,000 international student target, these figures produce a total of 370,000 planned new temporary resident arrivals each year.
The overall temporary resident target has a planning range of 355,000 to 385,000 annually.
Importantly, the arrival figures exclude several categories, including visitors, permit extensions, in-Canada work and study permit applications and asylum claimants. Post-Graduation Work Permit issuances are not counted as new arrivals under these targets because IRCC treats them as a change or extension of status.
Budget 2026 also proposes further reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to better reflect regional labour market requirements and strengthen employer compliance.
French Immigration Targets
Canada is increasing its focus on French-speaking immigrants settling outside Quebec.
Under the new plan, the percentage target for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec will rise every year.
| Year | Target | Planned admissions |
| 2027 | 9.5% | 31,825 |
| 2028 | 10.5% | 35,175 |
| 2029 | 12% | 40,200 |
These percentage targets are based on relevant permanent resident admissions outside Quebec, rather than the total nationwide figure.
For candidates with strong French-language proficiency, this policy provides an important indication of Canada’s longer-term immigration priorities.
Individual applications will still be assessed according to the requirements of the relevant immigration program.
Canada’s Immigration Direction
The government’s latest plan continues a wider effort to reduce temporary immigration growth while prioritizing people who can address economic and regional workforce needs.
According to Budget 2026, between January and August 2026:
- New international student arrivals were 71% lower than during the equivalent period in 2024.
- New foreign worker arrivals were 57% lower.
- New asylum claims were 68% lower.
The government also aims to reduce the non-permanent resident population to less than 5% of Canada’s total population.
At the same time, it is maintaining regular annual permanent residence targets at 380,000, compared with the 393,770 permanent residents actually admitted during 2025.
The new transitional measures indicate that Canada is placing greater emphasis on enabling eligible people already established in the country to become permanent residents, instead of relying exclusively on new overseas arrivals.
Implementation and Eligibility
The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan and Budget 2026 were published on November 5, 2026.
The special transition measure is intended to provide additional permanent residence processing opportunities during 2027, with the government aiming to support up to 200,000 transitions by the end of that year.
However, the announcement should not be confused with the opening of a universal new permanent residence application program.
As of November 7, 2026, the cited announcements do not provide a single general application opening date or a complete set of new eligibility criteria for every group under the special initiative.
Further program instructions and provincial allocations will be important in determining how eligible applicants benefit.
People already holding Canadian work permits or awaiting permanent residence decisions should not assume that the new plan changes their immigration status automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will Canada accept 622,000 permanent residents in 2027?
The figure is a possible combined upper ceiling calculated from the regular upper planning range of 422,000 and an additional measure covering up to 200,000 people. The regular target remains 380,000, and the maximum is not guaranteed.
2. Who can benefit from the 200,000-person measure?
The initiative is intended for selected workers and humanitarian or family-related applicants already living in Canada. Eligibility depends on the particular program and implementation instructions.
3. Can overseas applicants apply for the special 200,000 places?
The special measure is focused on people already living in Canada. Overseas applicants may continue to pursue regular immigration pathways for which they qualify, but they should not assume access to this special allocation.
4. Will temporary workers receive automatic PR?
No. Holding a valid Canadian work permit does not automatically qualify someone for permanent residence. Applicants must satisfy the conditions of the applicable immigration pathway.
5. Will students receive permanent residence?
International students do not automatically qualify for PR under the new announcement. Eligible graduates may pursue existing pathways, depending on their qualifications, work experience, language abilities and other program requirements.
6. When will the special measure start?
The government has announced additional processing capacity for 2027 and intends to support the transitions by the end of that year. Detailed application procedures and any additional selection instructions must be confirmed by IRCC.
What Happens Next?
The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan has now established Canada’s immigration planning framework for the next three years.
The most important development for applicants is the additional time-limited opportunity for up to 200,000 people already living in Canada, including up to 100,000 under a workers cohort and up to 100,000 under a humanitarian cohort.
For existing permanent residence applicants, the next important developments will be provincial nomination allocations, IRCC program instructions, processing arrangements and any clarification regarding the relationship between the new measure and previous one-time commitments.
Foreign workers, provincial nominees and applicants with pending humanitarian or family immigration cases should monitor official IRCC announcements rather than assume that a new application pathway has already opened.
Canada’s latest plan creates additional opportunities for selected applicants while maintaining its regular annual immigration targets. Understanding the difference between the regular targets and the exceptional 2027 measures will be essential for anyone planning their Canadian immigration journey.