Canada Announces Plans for Up to 622,000 New Permanent Residents in 2027

Canada plans to welcome up to 622,000 new permanent residents by the end of 2027, according to figures released in the latest federal budget and annual Immigration Levels Plan. On November 5, 2026, the federal government published Budget 2026, which announced targeted measures to transition up to 200,000 in-Canada temporary residents to permanent residence by the close of 2027.

Alongside these temporary-to-permanent residence transition measures, known as the 2027 TPTMs, the government also released its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan on the same day. This comprehensive multi-year strategy sets a top-of-range target of 422,000 for incoming permanent residence admissions specifically for the year 2027. When combined with the transition pathways, the total anticipated influx of new permanent residents highlights a concerted federal effort to address labor market demands by integrating individuals who are already living, working, or studying within the country.

Of the up to 200,000 spaces allocated under the 2027 TPTMs, 100,000 will be specifically earmarked for skilled workers. These individuals will be selected through key federal and provincial economic streams, including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program, operating in close collaboration with Canada’s provincial and territorial governments as outlined in the newly published budget.

In addition to the 622,000 new permanent residents accounted for by the projected admissions for 2027 and the new transition measures, the plan indicates that the government anticipates another distinct cohort of new permanent residents arriving in 2027. This group comprises the remainder of the 148,000 permanent resident admissions that were originally promised under two separate one-time initiatives announced the previous year. When the government unveiled its immigration strategy in late 2025, it committed to granting permanent residence to up to 115,000 protected persons and 33,000 in-Canada workers through these one-time pathways.

While the newly released plan outlines the broader framework, it did not explicitly specify how many of the 148,000 protected persons and foreign workers still remain to be issued permanent residence before the end of 2027 under these ongoing initiatives. However, official government statistics offer a clearer picture of the current progress. Between January 2026 and August 2026, Canada welcomed 46,330 new permanent residents under these 2026–2027 one-time initiatives, according to data published on the government’s permanent residence statistics web page. This suggests that approximately 100,000 protected persons and skilled workers remain to be formally issued permanent residency over the 16-month period spanning from September 2026 through December 2027.

Looking further ahead at the baseline permanent residence admissions for subsequent years, the plan establishes consistent figures for the notional targets in 2028 and 2029. For each of these years, the government has set a projected permanent residence admission target of 380,000, with an acceptable operating range spanning from a low of 352,500 to a high of 422,000. This maintains a steady, predictable intake level designed to stabilize population growth while continuing to support Canada’s economic and demographic objectives.

The strategy also places a significant ongoing emphasis on linguistic diversity and the strengthening of francophone communities outside the province of Quebec. The plan sets progressively higher targets for French-speaking admissions as a percentage of overall permanent residence admissions, aiming for 9.5 percent in 2027, increasing to 10.5 percent in 2028, and reaching 12 percent by the year 2029.

Temporary residence targets

Alongside permanent immigration, the immigration levels plan outlines clear projections for temporary residence admissions for 2027, setting the total at 370,000. Within this broader temporary category, 220,000 spaces have been designated for temporary foreign workers, while 150,000 spaces are allocated for international students pursuing education at Canadian institutions.

A closer examination of the temporary foreign worker allocations reveals that 50,000 permits are slated for issuance through the traditional Temporary Foreign Worker Program. These specific permits require employers to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment to demonstrate that no qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position before a foreign national can be hired.

Meanwhile, the remaining 170,000 work permits are set to be issued through the International Mobility Program. These permits are fundamentally exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment requirement, facilitating smoother mobility for workers filling roles tied to broader economic, cultural, or reciprocal international interests.

For the subsequent years of 2028 and 2029, the plan establishes notional temporary residence targets that are identical to the figures outlined for 2027. These targets for temporary admissions match the figures that the government originally established in November 2025 when it published the previous multi-year immigration levels plan, signaling a continuity in federal strategy regarding temporary migration management.