Canada’s latest immigration plan maintains a steady flow of new permanent residents while tightening controls on temporary entries. Federal documents show annual permanent resident targets of 395,000 for 2025, 380,000 for 2026 and 365,000 for 2027. A newer framework for 2026 to 2028 keeps levels around 380,000 per year, within a projected range of 350,000 to 420,000.

For the first time, the plan includes targets for temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers. These are set at 673,650 for 2025, dropping to 516,600 in 2026 and 543,600 in 2027.

The budget also introduces a one-time initiative allowing eligible protected persons—individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries—to obtain permanent residency over the next two years. The measure, valued at about $120.4 million over four years beginning in 2026-27, will have its eligibility rules defined later.

A second program will fast-track the transition of up to 33,000 existing work-permit holders to permanent status in 2026 and 2027, with $19.4 million in funding over four years. 

The federal government is introducing a one-time measure over the next two years to grant permanent residency to protected persons already in Canada who cannot safely return to their home countries. The initiative, outlined in Budget 2025, sets aside $120.4 million over four years beginning in 2026-27 to support the program.

According to the government’s immigration levels plan, the “Refugees, Protected Persons, Humanitarian and Compassionate” category will admit between 46,000 and 64,000 people annually from 2026 to 2028. 

Canada is set to welcome a total of 1,068,650 new arrivals in 2025, combining 395,000 permanent residents and 673,650 temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers. The overall intake is projected to decline slightly in the following years, with 896,600 people expected in 2026—made up of 380,000 permanent and 516,600 temporary entrants—and 908,600 in 2027, reflecting 365,000 permanent and 543,600 temporary residents. 

These figures suggest that immigration to Canada remains at record levels, casting doubt on the government’s claims that it intends to reduce overall admissions.