Immigration Levels Plan 2027-2029: What Changed for You

New IRCC Levels Plan: What Changed for You

IRCC will admit 380,000 permanent residents a year and has set aside extra room in 2027 for up to 200,000 people already in Canada.

The short version

On November 5, 2026, IRCC released its 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan. Budget 2026 funds it.
380,000 permanent residents a year in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The 2027 totals match last year’s plan.
A time-limited measure in 2027 makes room for up to 200,000 people already in Canada to move to permanent residence.
IRCC has not said who is chosen, whether people must apply, or when anything opens.

What IRCC announced

On November 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan.

Permanent residents: 380,000 a year, in a range of 352,500 to 422,000. About 64% are economic (244,700). That includes 100,000 Federal High Skilled and 95,000 Provincial Nominee Program spots.
Family: 81,000 a year. That is 66,000 for spouses, partners and children, and 15,000 for parents and grandparents.
Refugees and protected persons: 49,300. Humanitarian and compassionate and other cases: 5,000.
New temporary arrivals: 370,000 a year. That is 220,000 workers (170,000 through the International Mobility Program and 50,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program) and up to 150,000 students.

IRCC says the 2028 and 2029 permanent resident targets are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted each year. The temporary arrival targets for those years will be confirmed or adjusted by November 1 of next year.

What changed from last year’s plan

Last year’s plan (2026-2028) already had a 2027 column. Here is how the 2027 numbers compare.

Permanent residents: 380,000. No change.
Economic: 244,700. No change.
Federal High Skilled: 100,000, down from 111,000.
Provincial Nominee Program: 95,000, up from 92,500.
Temporary arrivals: 370,000, with 220,000 workers and 150,000 students. No change.

The 2027 measure for people already in Canada

IRCC calls it a time-limited measure. It makes room in 2027 for up to 200,000 people already in Canada to move to permanent residence, in two groups.

Workers, up to 100,000. This runs with provinces and territories. IRCC names workers nominated through increased Provincial Nominee Program spots, and people who already applied to programs such as the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Start-up Visa Program, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and the home care worker programs.
Humanitarian group, up to 100,000. IRCC names people already waiting on decisions, including the Hong Kong pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, people found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents in Canada.

Budget 2026 sets aside $302.3 million over four years, starting in 2027-28, plus $90.6 million in later years, to deliver the measure. It describes the measure as up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada by the end of 2027.

Disclosure: the publisher of Newcomer Digest, Melisa Alexander, is a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC, R531703).

What this means for you

The plan is clear. Your details are not.

If you are on a work permit. The worker part of the 2027 measure runs through provinces and territories. IRCC names groups it covers. It does not say that every temporary worker is covered. Check whether you already have a nomination or an application in the system.
If you are a student or recent graduate. The plan keeps new student arrivals at up to 150,000 a year. Budget 2026 says new international student arrivals from January to August 2026 were 71% (156,440) lower than in the same period of 2024. IRCC has not said how students or graduates would be considered for the 2027 measure.
If you have family in Canada. The plan has 66,000 spots a year for spouses, partners and children, and 15,000 for parents and grandparents. Spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents in Canada are one of the groups IRCC names in the 2027 measure.
If you are already waiting on a decision. IRCC names people waiting on decisions in some programs. Know which application you filed, and when.

What IRCC has not said yet

How people are chosen for the 200,000 spots.
Whether you must apply, or whether IRCC will contact people.
When anything opens.
How the 2028 and 2029 targets will be set. IRCC says it will confirm or adjust them each year.

What you can do now: four steps

Know your dates. Write down when your permit or status expires. Keep your status valid while you wait.
Check what you already have. Log in to your IRCC account. Note any application or Express Entry profile you submitted, and any provincial nomination.
Watch the source, not the rumours. IRCC has not said how people are chosen. Check IRCC’s pages for updates. Ignore anyone who sells a spot in the 200,000.
Check who you pay. New IRCC penalties for fraudulent and unauthorized representatives start from $5,000. Search the CICC register first: only people marked "Active" and "Yes" under "Entitled to Practise" can charge for immigration advice. Read last week’s guide: 4 checks before you pay. CICC: Find an Immigration Consultant

Official sources

The facts above come from these pages. Check them yourself.

The bottom line

The plan keeps the total at 380,000 and adds a time-limited path for up to 200,000 people already here. The details that decide who is in are still missing. Know your dates, check what you have filed, and wait for IRCC’s official instructions. Do not pay anyone for a spot.

General information, not advice. Rules can change. Review the official pages before you make a decision.

Not sure where you fit in the new plan? A consultation looks at your own dates and options.

Know your options. Plan your next step.

Have questions about your immigration status, an expiring permit or your family’s next move?

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