Canada's 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan sets 150,000 new student arrivals and 380,000 permanent resident admissions a year.
The plan keeps the same targets for 2027, 2028 and 2029. It also adds a one-time measure that could move up to 200,000 people already in Canada to permanent residence (PR) by the end of 2027. This guide explains what the numbers mean for you.
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Disclaimer: This article is general information, not immigration advice. It is based on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)'s Levels Plan pages and the Budget 2026 report (pages 216 to 218), both published on 5 November 2026. Plans and rules can change, so always check the official pages before you decide.
What Is Canada's 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan?
The Immigration Levels Plan is Canada's yearly plan for how many people it expects to welcome. It sets targets for new permanent residents (people who can live in Canada for good) and for new temporary residents (people with a study permit or work permit).
The Budget 2026 report says the 2027-2029 plan keeps a balance between the needs of employers and communities and the pressure on housing, health care and social services. IRCC's plan pages are dated 5 November 2026 and give the full tables.
What Are the Targets for 2027, 2028 and 2029?
The targets are the same in all three years: 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals and 380,000 permanent resident admissions. Of the temporary arrivals, 150,000 are students and 220,000 are workers.
Note: IRCC says the notional (planned) targets and ranges for 2028 and 2029 will be confirmed or adjusted by November 1 of next year. Treat the later years as plans, not promises.
What Does the Plan Mean for International Students?
The plan keeps new student arrivals at 150,000 a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029. It does not give you a study permit or a place at a school. It sets a national target for how many new students IRCC expects to arrive.
- Student arrivals are already much lower. The Budget 2026 report says new international student arrivals between January and August 2026 were 71% (156,440) lower than in the same period of 2024.
- The target counts new arrivals only. IRCC says it leaves out permit extensions and in-Canada study or work permit applications.
- The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is not counted. IRCC treats it as an extension or change of status, not a new arrival, so it is not part of these targets.
- Workers are the larger group. About 60% of new temporary arrivals are workers and about 40% are students.
Warning! The announcements do not give a study permit cap or provincial allocations for 2027. Those numbers decide how many study permit applications are accepted. Check for new announcements before you plan your intake, and apply early.
How Do the Targets Compare With Earlier Years?
The new targets are much lower than Canada's recent peaks. The Budget 2026 report compares them with actual numbers from 2023 and 2024.
The report also says that, between January and August 2026, new worker arrivals were 57% (170,455) lower than in the same period of 2024. New asylum claims were 68% lower.
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What Are the Permanent Residence Targets for 2027 to 2029?
Canada plans to admit 380,000 new permanent residents each year. About two out of three places are in the economic category, which is for workers and business people.
Two economic programs matter most for graduates who want to stay:
- Federal High Skilled: 100,000 admissions each year. This is the group that includes Express Entry.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 95,000 admissions each year. Provinces choose people for this program.
The plan also sets a share for French-speaking admissions outside Quebec: 9.5% in 2027, 10.5% in 2028 and 12% in 2029. Quebec's targets are not in IRCC's table. IRCC says they are in Quebec's own plan, to be tabled in fall 2026.
What Is the One-Time Measure for 200,000 Temporary Residents?
The Budget 2026 report says up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada could become permanent residents by the end of 2027. IRCC calls this a time-limited measure for 2027. It says it is not a new pathway and will not raise admissions every year.
IRCC splits the measure into two groups of up to 100,000 spaces each. These spaces are outside the 380,000 target.
- Workers and their families outside Quebec: This group includes people who are waiting for a decision under programs now closed to new applicants. Those programs are the Start-Up Visa, Self-Employed Persons, Agri-Food Pilot and caregiver programs. It also includes workers who are eligible to apply through the Provincial Nominee Program.
- People already in Canada with certain humanitarian applications: For example, family members of Canadians and permanent residents who are waiting for a final decision. Some applicants from the Hong Kong and Ukrainian family pathways are also included.
Note: The pages we read do not name international students as a group in this measure. If you work in Canada after you graduate, read IRCC's page on the measure to see if you meet the conditions.
What Else Does Budget 2026 Propose?
The report lists three immigration measures, and each one has funding attached. These are proposals in the budget report.
- Carry out the Levels Plan: $56.9 million over four years starting in 2027-28, and $205.4 million in future years, for IRCC.
- Move longstanding temporary residents to PR: $302.3 million over four years starting in 2027-28, and $90.6 million in future years.
- Reform the Temporary Foreign Worker Program: $151.5 million over five years starting in 2026-27, to better match regional labour needs and strengthen employer compliance.
The report also points to talent measures from Budget 2025. These include faster Labour Market Impact Assessment processing (as little as 10 business days) through the Global Talent Stream, and work to modernize Express Entry.
What Should International Students Do Now?
Use the plan as background, not as a promise. The numbers describe national targets, and your own plan still depends on your school, your province and your permit.
- Choose a program that fits your goals. Check that the school is a designated learning institution and that your program suits your career plan.
- Apply early. Study permit numbers are limited, so do not wait until the last month before your intake.
- Watch for 2027 study permit news. The pages we read did not list a 2027 cap, so check official announcements.
- Plan for the long term. If you hope to apply for PR later, learn how Express Entry and provincial programs work, and check IRCC for the current rules.
- Ask an expert. An ApplyBoard expert can help you choose programs and prepare your application.
Frequently Asked Questions: Canada's 2027-2029 Levels Plan
The plan targets 150,000 new international student arrivals each year in 2027, 2028 and 2029. This is part of a target of 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals a year. Extensions and in-Canada applications are not counted in these targets.
No. IRCC says Post-Graduation Work Permits are not included in the targets. It treats them as an extension or change of status, not as a new arrival to Canada.
The plan targets 380,000 permanent resident admissions in each of the three years. About 64.4% are in the economic category, 21.3% in the family category and 13% for refugees and protected persons.
The pages we read do not name international students. The measure covers certain workers and certain people already in Canada with humanitarian applications. Read IRCC's conditions before you rely on it.
Yes. IRCC says it will confirm or adjust the notional targets and ranges for 2028 and 2029 by November 1 of next year. The Budget 2026 funding measures are also proposals.
Canada's targets are lower than a few years ago, but students still have clear options if they plan early. Pick a program that fits your goals, apply in good time and keep checking official updates. Your ApplyBoard expert can help you with each step.
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