Canada 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: What the Consultation Means for Your Application
IRCC opened public consultations on May 12, 2026. The survey closes June 14. The final plan drops in November 2026 and sets every PR target, Express Entry allocation, and PNP slot for the next three years. Here is everything you need to know — and what to do before November.
Survey closes June 14, 2026. IRCC’s public consultation on the Canada 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is open right now. You do not need to be a Canadian citizen to participate. Submit your response on canada.ca →
Once a year, Canada’s immigration minister is legally required — under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act — to table a new levels plan in Parliament. This document sets the number of permanent residents Canada will admit across every category: skilled workers, families, refugees, business immigrants. In recent years it has also included targets for temporary residents — students and workers entering on time-limited permits.
The plan being consulted on right now will cover 2027, 2028, and 2029. When it drops in November 2026, it will directly determine how many Express Entry invitations get issued, how large each provincial nominee program’s allocation is, how fast spousal sponsorship moves, and how many international students get approved each year. If you have an active file or plan to apply within the next three years, this plan shapes your odds.
The public consultation that feeds into this plan opened on May 12, 2026 and runs until June 14, 2026. IRCC will review the responses over summer 2026, combine them with economic data, provincial input, and Cabinet priorities, and table the final plan by November 1, 2026.
Where Your Time Is Best Spent on This Page
This guide is built for people with active skin in the game — Express Entry candidates, PNP applicants, international graduates on a PGWP, family sponsors, and temporary workers weighing their PR options. It covers four things competitors do not: what the five consultation questions actually ask and how to answer them well; a full program-by-program projection of what the 2027–2029 plan will likely contain; what IRCC did versus what respondents wanted in the last consultation; and a stream-specific action plan for the five-month window between now and November.
The Consultation Timeline — Dates That Actually Matter
The process from public survey to tabled plan takes roughly six months. Understanding where each stage sits tells you how urgent the June 14 deadline really is.
Who can participate: Canadian citizens and permanent residents, temporary residents (workers and students) currently in Canada, people outside Canada, employers, settlement agencies, educational institutions, Indigenous organizations, Francophone community groups, municipal governments, and advocacy organizations. You do not need a lawyer or immigration consultant to complete the survey.
Where Canada Stands Now — The Full 2026–2028 Baseline
You cannot read the 2027–2029 consultation clearly without knowing what the current plan actually says. The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan — tabled in November 2025 — was built around a single goal: pull immigration back to sustainable levels after Canada admitted a record 484,000 permanent residents in 2024.
Permanent Resident Targets: 2026–2028
| Category | Sub-stream | 2026 Target | 2027 Target | 2028 Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic | Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 109,000 | 111,000 | 111,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 91,500 | 92,500 | 92,500 | |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | |
| Federal Business (SUV / Self-Employed) | 500 | 500 | 500 | |
| Economic Pilots (Caregivers, Agri-Food, etc.) | 8,175 | 8,775 | 8,775 | |
| Total Economic | 239,800 | 244,700 | 244,700 | |
| Family | Spouses, Partners & Children | 69,000 | 66,000 | 66,000 |
| Parents & Grandparents | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | |
| Total Family | 84,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 | |
| Refugees & Protected Persons | All streams combined | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
| H&C & Other | All streams combined | 6,900 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Total PR Admissions | 380,000 | 380,000 | 380,000 | |
| Source: IRCC Supplementary Information for the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, tabled November 2025. Ranges not shown — targets only. | ||||
Temporary Resident Targets: 2026–2028
| Stream | 2026 Target | 2027 Target | 2028 Target | Change from 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total New TR Arrivals | 385,000 | 370,000 | 370,000 | −37% |
| Temporary Workers (Total) | 230,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 | ↓ |
| – International Mobility Program | 170,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 | Stable |
| – Temporary Foreign Worker Program | 60,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | ↓ |
| International Students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | −49% |
| Note: PGWP holders are treated as permit extensions, not new arrivals — they are not counted in these targets. | ||||
The Three Government Commitments Anchoring the Next Plan
These are not consultation proposals — they are stated policy positions the government made before the survey opened. The 2027–2029 plan will be built around them:
Population growth hit 0% in 2026. The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s analysis of the current levels plan projects Canada’s population growth was essentially flat in 2026 — after years of record expansion driven by record immigration. It is expected to recover to 0.3% in 2027 and stabilize around 0.8% annually over the medium term. This removes most of the political pressure to increase immigration volumes in the near term.
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The Five Consultation Questions — And What a Useful Answer Looks Like
Every competitor piece covering this topic says the survey has “five open-ended questions” and moves on. None of them tell you what those questions actually say or how to answer them in a way that carries weight. Here is the full breakdown.
This year’s survey is notably different from previous ones. Prior consultations leaned heavily on multiple-choice questions. This year IRCC is asking open-ended questions — meaning a detailed, specific, experience-based response is far more useful than a short one. Prepare your answers before you open the form. You can review the questions on IRCC’s site, draft your answers separately, and then submit in one sitting.
Practical tip: The survey also includes demographic questions — your immigration status, province of residence, industry, and whether you are responding on behalf of an organization. Answer these accurately. IRCC uses this data to weight and contextualize the open-ended responses. A retired civil servant’s view of housing pressure and an international student’s view of the PGWP pipeline carry different contexts.
What Individuals vs. Organizations Said Last Time — And What IRCC Actually Did
The 2025 consultation informed the current 2026–2028 plan. Looking at what respondents said versus what IRCC delivered is the clearest indicator of how much weight your response actually carries.
The Response Numbers
| Respondent Type | 2024 Consultation | 2025 Consultation | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual respondents | 3,626 | 18,135 | +400% |
| Organizations & stakeholders | ~200 | 840 | +320% |
The Opinion Gap
On every major question, individuals and organizations landed on opposite sides of the table:
| Question | What Most Individuals Said | What Most Organizations Said |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 PR target (380,000) | Too high — 75% of individuals | Too low — 50%+ of organizations |
| 2027+ PR trajectory | Decrease — 75% of individuals | Increase — 60% of organizations |
| 2026 temporary worker target | Too many — 80%+ of individuals | Too few — ~50% of organizations |
| International student target (305,900) | Too high — majority of individuals | Too low — majority of organizations |
| Settlement priorities | Both groups agreed: language training, employment support, credential recognition matter most | |
What IRCC Actually Did
The 2026–2028 plan — which was the output of the 2025 consultation — tells you exactly how IRCC balanced these competing views.
International students: The prior plan set the 2026 student arrival target at 305,900. Organizations said this was too low. Individuals said it was too high. The 2026–2028 plan revised it down to 155,000 — a 49% cut. IRCC sided with individuals on volume, dramatically.
Permanent residents: The plan held PR at 380,000 — below the 400,000+ organizations wanted but also below the levels most individual respondents considered acceptable. IRCC split the difference on total PR while heavily tilting the economic share upward (64% by 2027–2028).
Temporary workers: Cut from previous highs. IRCC sided with individual concerns on overall volume, while introducing sector-specific programs to keep meeting specific labour market needs.
The honest read: consultation responses are a genuine input but not a determining one. The government had already committed to the 5% TR target and the <1% PR ceiling before the survey opened. What the consultation mainly shapes is which programs get priority within those overall ceilings, and how fast the adjustments happen.
Program-by-Program Projections for the 2027–2029 Levels Plan
The final plan will be tabled in November 2026. The numbers below are projections based on the trajectory of the last three levels plans, the government’s stated commitments, and PBO demographic analysis — not confirmed figures. Treat them as the range within which the actual targets are likely to land.
Express Entry (Federal High Skilled) — The One Stream That Keeps Growing
Federal High Skilled allocations — the bucket that covers Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Federal Skilled Trades — have grown through every levels plan since 2022, even as total immigration was being cut. The trajectory is clear:
| Year | Allocation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 (actual) | ~110,000 | — |
| 2026 (current plan) | 109,000 | Stable |
| 2027–2028 (current plan) | 111,000 | ↑ |
| 2027–2029 (projection) | 110,000–115,000 | Likely ↑ |
Express Entry is being protected because the government views it as the most efficient economic immigration tool. The Comprehensive Ranking System selects for language ability, education, skilled work experience, and Canadian connections — exactly the profile the government wants to prioritize. Category-based draws (healthcare, French-language, trades, transport) let IRCC target specific labour market needs without increasing overall numbers.
What this means for applicants: If you have a strong CRS score — or can improve it through language testing, an ECA, or a provincial nomination — Express Entry remains the most stable and growing pathway in Canadian immigration. The category draw system means even mid-range CRS scores can receive ITAs through occupation-specific or French-language draws.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) — Restored, But Restructuring Fast
The PNP’s journey since 2024 is the starkest illustration of how rapidly immigration policy can shift. In October 2024, IRCC cut PNP allocations from approximately 120,000 to just 55,000 — a 54% reduction in one announcement. Provinces pushed back hard. The 2026–2028 plan restored it to 91,500 (rising to 92,500 in 2027–2028), reflecting intense lobbying from provinces and employers who depend on PNP for sector-specific hiring.
| Year | PNP Allocation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-2024 | ~120,000 | Pre-cut level |
| Oct 2024 plan | 55,000 | −54% cut |
| 2026–2028 plan | 91,500–92,500 | Restored |
| 2027–2029 projection | 90,000–95,000 | Stable expected |
Provincial Shifts You Need to Know About Right Now
The federal PNP allocation is one thing — how each province uses its slice of that allocation is another. Programs have been restructuring rapidly:
- Ontario overhauled its entire OINP framework on May 30, 2026 — scrapped all nine existing streams, replacing them with a new structure. If you were targeting an old Ontario stream, verify the current program before applying. Use the OINP Points Calculator to check your eligibility under the new framework.
- Saskatchewan introduced capped sector windows with positions that fill within hours. Timing your application within the open window is now as important as your score. Check the SINP Points Calculator for your eligibility status.
- Manitoba is running targeted draws for specific support-letter cohorts rather than open pools. Check the Manitoba PNP Calculator for current stream requirements.
- Nova Scotia implemented a 12-month EOI validity window — profiles older than 12 months are being closed automatically. If you have an old NS EOI sitting in your account, verify its status immediately.
- British Columbia and Alberta continue targeted tech and healthcare draws. The BC PNP Calculator and Alberta PNP Calculator show current scoring thresholds.
Temporary Residents — Workers and International Students
The TR reduction is the most visible part of the policy shift since 2024. The 5% population target requires net outflows of temporary residents — people leaving Canada, transitioning to PR, or not renewing permits — while reducing new arrivals simultaneously.
| Stream | 2026 Target | 2027 Target | 2027–2029 Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total TR Arrivals | 385,000 | 370,000 | 350,000–370,000 |
| Workers (IMP + TFW) | 230,000 | 220,000 | 210,000–220,000 |
| International Students | 155,000 | 150,000 | 145,000–155,000 |
For international graduates currently on a PGWP, this matters because it directly affects how many Express Entry and PNP spots are available as you complete your work experience and become CEC-eligible. The government is explicitly prioritizing in-Canada transitions — PGWP holders who are already working in TEER 0–3 occupations are well-positioned relative to offshore applicants. Read the full Canadian Experience Class guide to understand how to qualify and when to apply.
Family Class — Stable But Declining in Share
Family reunification is losing ground in the overall mix as the economic share grows. In 2026, family class represents 22% of total PR admissions. By 2027–2028, the family total drops to 81,000 — down from 84,000 — and that share shrinks further as economic targets rise.
| Stream | 2026 | 2027–2028 | 2027–2029 Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouses, Partners & Children | 69,000 | 66,000 | 63,000–67,000 |
| Parents & Grandparents | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 (capped) |
| Total Family | 84,000 | 81,000 | 78,000–82,000 |
Parents and Grandparents sponsorship has been capped at 15,000 for multiple years and is unlikely to change materially. The Super Visa remains the practical interim option for parents who want to be with family in Canada before the sponsorship is approved.
Refugees and Protected Persons — One-Time Initiative Ending
The refugee and protected persons allocation sits at 49,300 per year across 2026–2028 and is expected to remain in a similar range for 2027–2029. The more significant development is the one-time initiative to process approximately 115,000 protected persons already in Canada as permanent residents over 2026 and 2027. These admissions are in addition to the standard PR targets — they are not counted in the 380,000 figure.
By 2027, this initiative will be largely complete. The 2027–2029 plan will need to address whether to wind it down or continue at a reduced pace.
The Start-Up Visa Collapse — And What the New Entrepreneur Pilot Will Look Like
No program has been cut more dramatically than the Start-Up Visa. The full picture:
| Year | Allocation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ~5,000 | Operating |
| 2025 | 2,000–3,000 | Cut |
| 2026–2028 | 500 | 90% cut |
| Dec 31, 2025 | Program suspended | Backlog: 42,200 |
If you have a pending Start-Up Visa application: Under Bill C-12, the immigration minister gained the power to cancel applications that do not meet new ministerial priority standards. Applicants with valid 2025 commitment certificates had until June 30, 2026 to submit their PR applications. If you have an active SUV file, get regulated advice on your file’s status immediately — do not wait.
If you were planning to apply: The new entrepreneur pilot expected later in 2026 will prioritize applicants already physically in Canada, working in high-growth sectors, backed by designated organizations that meet stricter oversight standards. Volume will be minimal — 300–500 spots per year at most. Provincial entrepreneur streams in BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are the most viable alternative right now.
Francophone Immigration — The 12% Road Map and What It Means for Express Entry
The Francophone target is one of the government’s clearest stated commitments and it runs directly through Express Entry. The road map:
| Year | Francophone Target | Approx. # at 380K Base |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9% | ~30,267 |
| 2027 | 9.5% | ~31,825 |
| 2028 | 10.5% | ~35,175 |
| 2029 (commitment) | 12% | ~45,600 |
French-language Express Entry draws have been running cut-offs in the 393–400 range — well over 100 points below concurrent CEC-specific draws in the 507–514 range. If French is not your first language but you are willing to invest in it, this gap is significant. CLB 7 in French across all four skills qualifies you for the French-language category draw. Strong bilingual scores (CLB 9+ in both English and French) can add up to 74 direct CRS points on top of the category eligibility. Use the CLB Calculator to check what your French test scores would translate to.
Francophone immigration programs supporting this target: The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (part of Community Immigration Pilots), the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, and the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative all funnel into this percentage. These programs have dedicated space within the levels plan and are expected to grow in the 2027–2029 cycle.
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What the Consultation Does — and Does Not — Decide
Setting realistic expectations here is part of being useful. The public consultation is a genuine input but not the deciding factor. IRCC draws on multiple data streams:
- Public consultation responses (this survey)
- Meetings with provincial and territorial governments
- Engagement with employers, settlement agencies, and advocacy groups
- Economic forecasts and labour market data from ESDC and Statistics Canada
- Parliamentary Budget Officer demographic analysis
- Public opinion research conducted separately from the consultation
- Cabinet-level priorities set before the survey launched
The 2025 results are instructive: 18,135 individual responses came in — 400% more than the year before — and IRCC cut student arrivals by 49%, broadly in line with what individual respondents wanted. But PR totals held at 380,000, which was lower than organizations wanted and higher than individuals preferred. IRCC clearly used the data to inform decisions within a framework that was largely pre-set by political commitments.
Your response will not change your own immigration file. But the aggregate of thousands of responses — particularly from specific sectors or regions — can shift how IRCC sets priorities within the overall allocation. A healthcare employer in New Brunswick and a trades worker in Alberta telling the same story about labour shortages carries more weight than ten general responses about “immigration being important.”
Ten minutes of specificity is worth far more than ten minutes of generality.
What Every Applicant Type Should Do Before November 2026
The consultation closes June 14. The plan drops in November. In that five-month window, the smartest thing you can do is position your file for whatever the new plan announces — rather than waiting to react after the fact.
- Language scores (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF) are the highest-return improvement. One band jump across all four IELTS skills can add 20–40 CRS points.
- Get an ECA for foreign credentials if you have not done so. A foreign degree assessed as a Canadian bachelor’s adds ~20 points. A foreign master’s adds 30.
- Check which Express Entry category draws are active and whether your NOC code qualifies. Track the latest draw results to understand which categories are running and at what cut-offs.
- If you are at CRS 480–510, a provincial nomination is the fastest path to an ITA. A PNP nomination adds 600 CRS points.
- Enter the pool as soon as you are eligible — the tie-breaker for equal CRS scores is submission timestamp. Earlier is always better.
- Ontario: the OINP was completely overhauled on May 30, 2026. Old stream names are gone. Check the OINP Points Calculator under the new framework.
- Saskatchewan: sector windows fill within hours. Monitor opening dates actively. SINP Calculator →
- Manitoba: targeted draws for specific cohorts. Check current draw criteria. MPNP Calculator →
- Nova Scotia: EOI profiles older than 12 months are being closed automatically — verify yours.
- BC and Alberta: tech and healthcare draws continue actively. BC PNP and Alberta PNP calculators show current thresholds.
- Work done during your study program — co-ops and internships — does not count toward the 1,560-hour CEC requirement. Only post-graduation work on your PGWP counts.
- Track exactly when you will hit 1,560 hours in a TEER 0–3 NOC. That is the earliest you can submit your Express Entry profile.
- Take your language test before your PGWP expires. Test results expire after two years — time both accordingly.
- If your PGWP expires before you accumulate 12 months of eligible work, you need alternative work authorization. This is a planning issue, not an application issue — address it early.
- Read the full CEC guide for the complete PGWP-to-PR pipeline.
- Parents and Grandparents sponsorship is capped at 15,000 per year. Submit your interest to sponsor the moment intake opens — interest pools close fast.
- Super Visa is the practical interim option. It allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to 5 years per visit, multiple-entry, while waiting for sponsorship.
- Spousal sponsorship targets 66,000 per year from 2027 — relatively stable. Processing times remain a variable, not the cap.
- The 2027–2029 plan could adjust family class downward slightly as economic share continues growing. Submit your sponsorship application before November if at all possible.
- Active SUV applicants: Bill C-12 gives the minister power to cancel applications not meeting new priority standards. Get regulated advice on your file’s exposure before July 2026.
- The new entrepreneur pilot launching later in 2026 will prioritize applicants already in Canada, in high-growth sectors, with stricter designated organization requirements.
- Provincial alternatives: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and BC have active entrepreneur streams with clearer criteria and faster processing than waiting for the new federal pilot.
- Volume will be minimal — project 300–500 spots per year nationally when the new pilot launches.
- The government has stated it is prioritizing transitioning temporary residents who are already contributing to communities. If you are on a valid work permit with qualifying experience, explore PNP now.
- Atlantic Immigration Program targets workers in Atlantic Canada who have a job offer. 4,000 spots per year and expected to hold.
- Caregiver pilots launched March 2025 — Home Child Care and Home Support streams — have dedicated allocations within the economic pilots bucket.
- The 33,000 in-Canada skilled worker initiative (2026–2027) is targeting workers in specific in-demand sectors in rural communities. Check if your occupation and location qualify.
- Do not let your work authorization expire while you wait. A gap in status complicates — and in some cases eliminates — your PR pathways.
How to Submit Your Response Before June 14, 2026
The process is straightforward. The survey is fully online and takes 10–15 minutes if you prepare your answers in advance.
Canada 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan — Common Questions Answered
When will the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan be officially released?
Will the 380,000 PR target go up or down in the 2027–2029 plan?
Does submitting consultation feedback change anything on my own immigration file?
How does the 5% temporary resident target affect Express Entry draw frequency?
Can people outside Canada participate in the 2027–2029 consultation?
What happened to the Start-Up Visa and when will the replacement program launch?
What is the difference between the 2026–2028 plan and the 2027–2029 plan?
Does Francophone immigration affect my chances in Express Entry if I do not speak French?
How does the In-Canada Workers Initiative work and who qualifies?
What is the Express Entry category draw system and how does it affect my chances?
Know Where You Stand Before November Changes Everything
The 2027–2029 plan lands in November 2026. Every PR target, Express Entry allocation, and PNP slot resets. Find out your exact CRS score and your fastest PR pathway right now — before the new numbers are set.