Key Takeaways
- The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, released with Budget 2026, holds permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029
- New temporary resident arrivals are capped at 370,000 a year — 220,000 workers and up to 150,000 international students
- A one-time measure will help up to 200,000 people already in Canada become permanent residents in 2027
380,000 Permanent Residents a Year, Every Year to 2029
Budget 2026 arrived with Canada's next immigration levels plan built in. The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan holds permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year for each of the next three years — the same level promised in the previous plan.
New temporary resident arrivals are set lower, at 370,000 a year: 220,000 new workers and up to 150,000 new international students in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Who Gets the Spots
More than 64% of permanent resident admissions will come through the economic class. Planned admissions rise under the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot becomes permanent, and Francophone admissions outside Quebec climb from 9.5% of the total in 2027 to 12% by 2029.
The plan supports Ottawa's commitment to shrink the temporary resident population — the standing target is under 5% of Canada's total population by the end of 2027 — and to keep permanent resident admissions under 1% of the population beyond 2027, so housing and services can catch up.
A One-Time Door for People Already Here
Separate from the yearly targets, a time-limited measure will help up to 200,000 people already in Canada transition to permanent residence in 2027. Up to 100,000 are workers, nominated through expanded provincial allocations and select federal programs. Up to 100,000 more form a humanitarian cohort, including the Hong Kong permanent residence pathways and the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway.
The Twikup Take
Immigration is flat by design — no growth, no cliff. Ottawa is betting that stability, plus one big cleanup of people already here, is what the housing market and the job market can handle.
380,000 a year is the new normal. The real story is the 200,000 already in Canada.
Image: AI-generated illustration.