Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan: What It Means for Express Entry, PNP, Families and Workers

Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan: What It Means for Express Entry, PNP, Families and Workers

On November 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan. It keeps permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year and new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 a year. IRCC is also adding a time-limited measure, with extra admissions space in 2027, to help up to 200,000 people already living in Canada become permanent residents. If you are a worker, student, sponsor or pending applicant, this plan affects how much room Canada has for you over the next three years.

Key points

• 380,000 permanent resident admissions a year in 2027, 2028 and 2029. More than 64% will be in the economic class.
• 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals a year: 220,000 new workers and up to 150,000 new international students.
• A new time-limited measure will help up to 200,000 people already in Canada move to permanent residence: up to 100,000 in a workers cohort and up to 100,000 in a humanitarian cohort.
• Planned admissions go up under the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program.
• IRCC expects wait times in the spouse or common-law partner class to move closer to 12 months for applicants going to provinces and territories outside Quebec.
• The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is becoming permanent.

The 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan at a glance

Each year, Canada sets immigration targets for the next three years. The main totals in this plan match what last year’s plan promised. In IRCC’s words, the goal is to provide “greater certainty for applicants and Canadian businesses.”

The government also plans to keep permanent resident admissions below 1% of Canada’s population after 2027 and to reduce the temporary resident population. IRCC says these goals are meant to slow population growth so housing and services can catch up.

The 380,000 figure includes people who are already working or studying in Canada, not only new arrivals.

What changed and what did not

What did not change

• Overall permanent and temporary targets match the previous plan.
• Economic immigration still makes up the largest share of admissions.
• The government’s goal of reducing the temporary resident population stays in place.

What is new

• A time-limited measure for up to 200,000 people already in Canada, with extra admissions space to process applications under select pathways in 2027.
• Higher planned admissions under the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program.
• A permanent Rural Community Immigration Pilot.
• Rising Francophone targets outside Quebec, reaching 12% by 2029.

Who is affected

Express Entry candidates

Alongside the plan, IRCC says it is advancing broad Express Entry reforms. These include changes to the federal economic programs and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), plus new measures for high-wage occupations.

IRCC announced on October 16, 2026 that some of these changes would start on November 3, 2026. Candidates can get extra CRS points for Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation. A labour market impact assessment (LMIA) is no longer needed for a qualifying job offer to get those points or to meet the job offer requirement under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. IRCC will still check that job offers are genuine and meet program requirements.

IRCC said it would recalculate the scores of candidates already in the pool automatically. This may take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds are paused during that time. Candidates already in the pool who wanted points for a qualifying job offer were told to add the required information to their profiles before November 3.

A high-wage occupation is one whose median wage is at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce. The test looks at the occupation, not at your personal salary. IRCC will keep the list on its website.

Provincial nominee candidates

Provinces and territories get more to work with under this plan. PNP admissions go up. Through the workers cohort, the federal government will also work with provinces and territories to give them extra space by raising their PNP allocations. They can use that space to nominate workers who meet regional needs. IRCC has not yet published how many extra spaces each province will get, including British Columbia.

Workers already in Canada

The workers cohort aims to move up to 100,000 people already in Canada, plus their families, to permanent residence. Provinces and territories will be able to identify workers who have already applied under certain federal programs:

• the Atlantic Immigration Program
• the Start-up Visa Program and the Self-Employed Persons Program
• the Agri-Food Pilot
• home care worker programs

Apart from the Atlantic Immigration Program, IRCC says these programs are closed to new applications. This part of the measure covers people who have already applied.

The plan builds on the one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative, which is speeding up permanent residence for up to 33,000 workers in 2026 and 2027. IRCC says it will finish that work in 2027.

Families and sponsors

The humanitarian cohort will help up to 100,000 people. With the extra space, IRCC plans to process permanent residence applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents already living in Canada. IRCC expects this to bring wait times in the spouse or common-law partner class closer to 12 months for applicants going to provinces and territories outside Quebec.

Humanitarian applicants

IRCC aims to process all remaining applications under the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway. It also plans to finalize cases from people who have already been found eligible for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Students and temporary workers

New arrivals stay limited to up to 150,000 new students and 220,000 new workers a year. Some groups get special treatment. Since January 1, 2026, certain graduate students no longer need a provincial or territorial attestation letter, and doctoral students can have their applications processed in two weeks.

What it means in practice

The main message is stability, since the targets hold steady for three years. Most of the new measures are aimed at people already in Canada, applicants already in IRCC’s inventories, and workers who meet provincial and labour market needs.

For economic immigration, IRCC says it is focusing on candidates whose skills match known labour market needs. That includes Express Entry category-based selection and the new measures for high-wage occupations. If you live in Canada, watch for official updates from IRCC and your province about the workers cohort.

What to do now

1. Check your Express Entry profile. Once the recalculation is done, look at your new CRS score and see whether your occupation is on IRCC’s high-wage list.
2. Watch for official details. IRCC has not yet said how people will be chosen for either cohort or whether applicants need to do anything.
3. Keep pending applications current. If you applied under the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot or a home care worker program, it is good practice to keep your contact details, family information and documents up to date.
4. Sponsors, check your file. If you sponsored a spouse, partner or dependent child and the application is still pending, make sure it is complete.
5. Look at provincial options. PNP admissions are going up, so check whether you qualify for a stream in your province.

What is still unknown

• Exactly how provinces will choose workers for the workers cohort, and whether workers need to do anything. IRCC has not yet published details.
• How many extra PNP spaces each province or territory will get.
• Target numbers for individual programs within the 380,000 total. The backgrounder does not give them.
• The timing and details of the other Express Entry reforms to the federal economic programs.

How Manuleaf can help

Every file is different. Whether this plan helps you depends on your situation, your occupation, your province and any application you already have in the system. Our licensed consultant can review your circumstances and explain which options may fit you.

• See where you stand with our CRS calculator and our guide to Express Entry.
• Explore BC PNP and other provincial options.
• Sponsoring a partner or child? Read about family sponsorship.
• Start with a free general assessment.

Frequently asked questions

How many permanent residents will Canada admit under the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan?

380,000 a year in 2027, 2028 and 2029, with more than 64% in the economic class. This number includes people who are already working or studying in Canada.

Who can benefit from the new measure for up to 200,000 people?

People already living in Canada, in two cohorts. The workers cohort covers up to 100,000 people and their families, working with provinces and territories. This includes people with pending applications under the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa Program, Self-Employed Persons Program, Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs. The humanitarian cohort covers up to 100,000 people. With the extra space, IRCC aims to finish remaining Hong Kong pathway and Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway applications, finalize cases already found eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and process applications from spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents already living in Canada.

Will spousal sponsorship get faster?

IRCC says the extra space should help bring wait times in the spouse or common-law partner class closer to 12 months for applicants going to provinces and territories outside Quebec.

Do I need to apply for the workers cohort?

IRCC has not yet said whether workers need to do anything or how provinces will choose people. Watch for official updates from IRCC and your province.

How many new international students will Canada accept?

Up to 150,000 new international students a year in 2027, 2028 and 2029. They are part of the 370,000 total new temporary resident arrivals.

Official sources

• Building a stronger Canada through a well-managed, predictable immigration system – Canada.ca
• Canada refocusing Express Entry on top talent that drives economic growth – Canada.ca
• Get your graduate degree in Canada – Canada.ca
• Filling labour gaps in smaller communities by accelerating permanent residence for 33,000 workers – Canada.ca

This article is general information based on official Government of Canada announcements, not legal advice. Immigration rules change often; check your own situation with a licensed consultant.