Canada Sets Annual Immigration Targets to Stabilize Population Growth

The Government of Canada released its 2026 federal budget and the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, establishing annual targets of 380,000 permanent resident admissions and 370,000 temporary resident arrivals. The plan aims to stabilize immigration to sustainable levels to alleviate pressure on housing, health care, and social services, with a specific goal to reduce the temporary resident population to 5% of the total population by the end of 2027.

A central feature of the plan is a time-limited measure to transition up to 200,000 people already in Canada to permanent residency by the end of 2027. This cohort is split equally between 100,000 skilled workers via Express Entry or the Provincial Nominee Program and 100,000 individuals from humanitarian pathways, including those from Ukraine and Hong Kong. For the 2027-2029 period, temporary resident targets will consist of 220,000 workers and 150,000 international students.

To better align with regional labor market needs, the government allocated $151.5 million to reform the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and made the Rural Community Immigration Pilot permanent. The plan also seeks to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec to 12% of permanent resident admissions by 2029. While Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that immigration is back under control, Conservative critic Michelle Rempel Garner argued that the intake numbers prioritize corporate profit models over social infrastructure.