Canada's Immigration Level's Plan

Canada’s current published multi-year Immigration Level's Plan runs through 2025–2027, with targets including 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, dropping to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. IRCC has indicated that the 2026–2028 Immigration Level's Plan will be released in the fall of 2025.

Key Focus Areas

Canada's upcoming Immigration Level's Plan is likely to focus on:

• Reducing pressure on housing, infrastructure, public services and ensuring newcomers can settle and integrate effectively.

• Prioritizing foreign skilled workers, those already in Canada, and those aligned with labour-market and regional needs.

• Reducing non-permanent resident numbers to about 5% of Canada’s population by end of 2026.

• Enhancing immigration to French-speaking minority communities outside Quebec.

Because the 2026–2028 Immigration Level's Plan hasn’t been formally published in full, some details remain speculative. The actual numbers, categories and rules may shift depending on economic conditions, labour-market feedback, and global events.

What this Means for Applicants and Stakeholders

• If you’re planning to immigrate, expect more competition and potentially tighter eligibility, especially where labour-market alignment is concerned.

• If you hold temporary status in Canada, the emphasis on transitioning to permanent residence suggests opportunities, but also the need to stay aware of evolving rules and criteria.

• For employers and regions, aligning recruitment and settlement strategies with targeted immigration flows will become more important.

• For policy watchers and analysts, expect the next plan to set out both firm targets for the first year and notional (flexible) ranges for subsequent years — allowing adaptation to economic or global shifts.

For anyone planning immigration or settlement-related strategies, the time to prepare is now. This means reviewing your eligibility, aligning with labour-market needs, and staying aware of changes.

For more information on Canada's Immigration Level's Plan, visit The Government of Canada website.