Canada's 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: How Many PR Spots and What's Changing

IRCC has kept the 2027 base permanent residence target at 380,000, while setting aside roughly 100,000 additional spots for one-time temporary initiatives aimed at people already living in Canada.

In short

• The base PR target for 2027–2029 is fixed at 380,000 a year — unchanged from the previous plan
• Beyond the base spots, a one-time measure covers 200,000 people — this moves people already in Canada into PR status, not a new quota
• Economic immigration takes 64% of the base target (244,000 spots), while the family category dropped from 84,000 to 81,000
• The Francophone immigrant share outside Quebec rises from 9.5% in 2027 to 12% in 2029
• The government’s goal is to cut the temporary resident share to under 5% of Canada’s population, without changing the worker and student quotas themselves

How and when the immigration levels plan is published

The immigration levels plan is a three-year forecast of permanent resident admissions that IRCC updates every year and releases in November alongside the federal budget. Of the three years covered, only the first carries binding status — the department plans around that figure, while the numbers for years two and three can still shift in the next update.

This is not the same as annual statistics. Separately, IRCC publishes actual data on how many permanent residencies were granted over the past year — a report on what already happened, not a forecast. The levels plan, by contrast, sets forward-looking targets and doesn’t spell out program details: new initiatives are only mentioned in broad strokes, with specifics released by IRCC separately.

The 2027 base PR target: 380,000 spots

For 2027, the base permanent residence target holds at 380,000 — unchanged from last year’s plan. The same figure carries through the entire three-year period: the 2027–2029 plan projects 380,000 new PRs annually.

The number comes with a margin: a low end of 352,000 and a high end of 422,000. That means actual admissions can move in either direction from the base figure, but 380,000 remains the planning benchmark.

Within that total, economic immigration (Express Entry and provincial programs) takes the largest share — about 244,000 spots. A separate target is set for Francophone immigrants outside Quebec: 9.5% of the total in 2027, or roughly 32,000 people, rising to 10.5% in 2028 and about 12% (around 40,000 people) in 2029.

An extra 200,000 spots and two 100,000-person one-time initiatives

On top of the base target, IRCC has set aside a one-time temporary measure covering up to 200,000 people — but these are not new spots added on top of 380,000; they represent moving people already in Canada into PR status. The measure applies to 2027 and then ends. These spots are split into two time-sensitive initiatives of 100,000 people each — one for a worker cohort, one for a humanitarian cohort.

The first initiative covers people already in Canada who are waiting on a PR decision. This includes applicants under the startup visa, self-employed, agri-food pilot, and home care worker streams, as well as those covered by provincial nominations (PNP). Some of these applicants have been waiting for several years already.

Formally, this isn’t a new quota: IRCC is essentially processing up to 100,000 applications from a rollover category — people who were already set to receive PR, but whose decisions had been piling up for years. The department also specified that these 100,000 will not be deducted from previous years’ targets: processing this group doesn’t eat into the current year’s quota.

The second 100,000-spot initiative is aimed at humanitarian PR categories: spouses and common-law partners of permanent residents awaiting a final decision, applicants under the Hong Kong and Ukraine measures, and those whose applications under dedicated programs have already received approval in principle.

So out of the combined 580,000 spots (380,000 base plus 200,000 additional), a significant share goes not to new applicants but to clearing a multi-year backlog of already-filed cases.

So out of the combined 580,000 spots (380,000 base plus 200,000 additional), a significant share goes not to new applicants but to clearing a multi-year backlog of already-filed cases.

The humanitarian cohort and spots carried over from past years

The humanitarian cohort’s 100,000 spots include applicants awaiting a final PR decision: spouses and common-law partners of permanent residents, applicants under the Hong Kong and Ukraine measures, and some H&C (humanitarian and compassionate) applicants whose cases have already been approved in principle. Also included are people who have been in the queue for a long time — their PR is likewise expected to be finalized under this cohort.

The key point: these aren’t new quotas, but obligations carried forward from previous years. A higher number on paper doesn’t mean higher actual admissions — IRCC is simply committing to finish processing what was already promised earlier.

A higher number on paper doesn’t mean higher actual admissions — IRCC is simply committing to finish processing what was already promised earlier.

The same logic applies to other carryovers within the plan:

• about 115,000 people — an estimate covering one-time initiatives and admissions tied to prior commitments, separate from the new plan (no exact official figure has been published);
• about 33,000 people — an estimate of carryover from the previous levels plan for applicants already in Canada.

No new spots are added on top of these figures — Canada is simply honoring commitments made earlier, not expanding the plan.

The temporary measures within the plan are split into two cohorts: one covers accompanying family members and transitions to PR, the other covers the transition to PR for people already in Canada, with an emphasis on keeping families together.

Temporary residents: workers and students for 2027

For 2027, IRCC plans to admit about 370,000 temporary residents — a figure that excludes tourists and other visitors. It’s made up of two groups: temporary workers and international students.

The quota for temporary workers is 220,000. Of that, 170,000 falls under the International Mobility Program (which includes intra-company transfers, open work permits for spouses, and several other subcategories), while 70,000 is tied to employer-specific work permits under the LMIA process, including agricultural, seasonal, and high- and low-wage streams.

For international students, the plan sets 150,000 new study permits — spanning college and undergraduate programs through master’s and doctoral studies. This figure matches last year’s plan, with no change. However, based on how this year is tracking, student admissions will likely fall short of the target.

The government hasn’t changed the quotas for temporary workers and students compared to last year’s plan — it’s building growth not into admission numbers, but into shrinking the overall share of temporary residents in the country. The government’s goal is to bring the temporary resident share below 5% of Canada’s population. With roughly 4.5 million people currently in that category, that works out to about 220,000 new temporary residents a year.

The government hasn’t changed the quotas for temporary workers and students compared to last year’s plan — it’s building growth not into admission numbers, but into shrinking the overall share of temporary residents in the country.

How the 380,000 PR spots break down by category

Of the 380,000 base-level spots, 244,000 go to economic immigration — Express Entry and provincial programs (PNP) combined. The economic category gained 5,000 spots compared to the previous plan and now accounts for 64% of total admissions, reflecting a focus on attracting skilled workers.

Family immigration, mainly spousal sponsorship, dropped from 84,000 to 81,000 spots. Refugee admissions also fell, from 56,000 to 49,000, while applications under the humanitarian H&C category held at about 5,000, slightly below last year’s figure. A separate target applies to Francophone applicants outside Quebec: 9.5% of total spots in 2027 (about 32,000 people), 10.5% in 2028, and about 12% in 2029 — roughly 40,000 people combined over three years.

A detailed breakdown of economic and other programs from the plan:

Category	Spots
Economic immigration (total)	244,000
High-skilled workers (including Express Entry)	≈87,000
Federal Business program	500
RCIP	5,500
Atlantic Immigration	6,000
Quebec Skilled Workers	5,000
Family immigration (total)	81,000
Spousal sponsorship (part of the family category)	≈81,000
Parents and Grandparents (PGP)	12,000
Refugees — protected persons	16,000
Refugees — resettlement	10,000
Refugees — privately sponsored	10,000
Humanitarian category (H&C)	5,000

It’s still unclear whether the PGP quota will be increased — the figure has held steady at 12,000, and the number admitted under this program is noticeably lower than under other family categories. For Startup Visa applicants, next year’s plan sets aside about 1,500 spots, which may signal a dedicated federal program launching. For 2028, the federal business quota is also expected to rise to 1,500 spots, with a possible separate 7,900-spot quota for home care workers.

New residents’ share of Canada’s population and how 2026 admissions are tracking

Based on available data, the inflow of new permanent residents remains below the 1% of population threshold the government previously set out; there is no official confirmation of this figure as of publication. In practice, this means the 2027–2028 plan figures haven’t been cut: targets either hold steady or ticked up slightly due to one-time initiatives (c80).

How 2026 admissions are tracking backs this up. So far, 380,000 people have been granted PR status — admissions under this quota continue through August (c77, c78). On top of that, the government has opened roughly 160,000 additional spots, including about 80,000 people above the main quota (c76). In the family category, about 59,000 of the planned 84,000 spots have already been filled (c79).

New programs and the Express Entry overhaul for 2027–2028

The immigration levels plan hints at new areas of focus, though a document of this kind traditionally doesn’t spell out individual program details — only the broad direction. Among the priority sectors named for attracting skilled talent are education, healthcare, construction, as well as artificial intelligence and digital technology — these are new categories that weren’t on the list before. Defense, energy, and critical minerals were already priorities and aren’t new additions. Based on this set of sectors, 2027 could see dedicated invitation rounds or categories targeting these fields specifically, though that’s not a confirmed decision — it’s an inference drawn from indirect signals in the plan.

The government’s stated approach is to maintain a stable and predictable level of immigration that complements Canada’s labor market rather than displacing the local workforce.

What to expect in Express Entry and provincial programs

• updated Express Entry categories are expected within the coming year;
• a new federal immigration program is expected to be announced;
• Ontario’s Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is preparing new initiatives, including the launch of an entrepreneur stream (OINP’s second phase), planned for next year;
• a major restructuring of Express Entry has been flagged: the plan is to merge the system into one large stream instead of the current set of separate categories;
• Express Entry invitations next year are expected to take a candidate’s income level into account.

All of the changes listed above remain unconfirmed and fall into the category of expected developments — the plan only signals a direction, with specific parameters for new programs and the Express Entry overhaul to be released later.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for PR for 2027 right now if I haven’t started the process yet

The levels plan only sets overall annual quotas — it doesn’t open a separate application stream. Applications go through specific programs like Express Entry or PNP, each with its own conditions and timelines. The 380,000 base spots for 2027 are split among these programs, so your chances depend on which program you’re applying under and when it opens intake.

What happens if my PR application has been stuck in the queue for years already

If your application falls under a rollover category — startup visa, self-employed, agri-food pilot, home care worker, or provincial nominations — it could be covered by the one-time 100,000-spot initiative for 2027 aimed specifically at these stalled cases. These spots aren’t deducted from the current year’s quota, so processing older applications doesn’t reduce new applicants’ chances.

Do the 2027 humanitarian initiatives cover people who recently applied under the Ukraine measures, or only older cases

The humanitarian cohort’s 100,000 spots primarily cover people already awaiting a final decision — spouses, common-law partners, applicants under the Hong Kong and Ukraine measures, and those whose applications have already been approved in principle. In other words, the measure is designed to process already-filed and partially approved cases, not to accept new applications.

What happens to the immigration plan after 2029

The plan is published three years ahead and updated every November alongside the federal budget, so figures beyond the third year haven’t been set yet — IRCC will only lock them in with future updates. Only the first year of the three-year plan is treated as binding; the other two can still change at the next publication.

Is there an exact date for when the new Express Entry categories or OINP’s second phase will launch

No exact dates yet: the plan only signals direction, naming the coming year as the expected timeframe for updated Express Entry categories and the launch of OINP’s entrepreneur program. Specific parameters and timelines for these changes are expected to be released separately by IRCC and provincial authorities later.

Is the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) quota expected to increase in the coming years

Right now the PGP quota holds at 12,000 spots, and the number admitted under this program is noticeably lower than under other family categories. Whether it will be increased in future plans is still unclear — there’s no official decision on this yet.