Toronto: Canada will introduce a new pathway to grant Permanent Residency (PR) to up to 33,000 work permit holders between 2026 and 2027, under its upcoming 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, as announced in Budget 2025 and reported by CIC News.
The plan, tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, by the Liberal minority government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, marks a shift toward stabilising temporary migration and strengthening the economic immigration stream to meet Canada’s labour market needs.
While the overall number of temporary resident admissions will decline sharply, the permanent residence target will remain steady at 380,000 for 2026. Officials say the new approach aims to balance population growth with infrastructure capacity and regional employment priorities.
Major Changes in 2026 Targets
According to the federal update:
Temporary resident admissions will drop to 385,000 in 2026 — a 43% cut from 673,650 in 2025.
International student intake will be reduced nearly by half, from 305,900 in 2025 to 155,000 in 2026.
Temporary foreign worker admissions will decrease 37%, from 367,750 to 230,000 in 2026.
The plan will also grant PR to eligible Protected Persons residing in Canada over the next two years.
Despite the cuts, the government will maintain its PR target at 380,000, with 64% of these admissions dedicated to economic immigration, up from 59% in the previous plan.
Officials emphasized that the program will “consider industries impacted by tariffs and address the unique needs of rural and remote communities,” ensuring immigration aligns with local economic priorities.
Permanent Residence Admissions: Stability with Focus on Economy
The economic immigration stream will rise slightly to 239,800 in 2026, compared to 229,750 in last year’s plan.
Family reunification target will drop to 84,000.
Refugee and humanitarian admissions will fall to 56,200, down from 62,250.
These adjustments underline the government’s focus on economic integration, with nearly two-thirds of PR spots allocated to skilled workers and business categories.
Further details will be released in the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, expected later this year. The report will expand on the framework for the new PR transition program and clarify allocations under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP).
(Source: Economic Times)
