Ottawa holds PR target at 380,000 a year through 2029

The federal government will keep permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year from 2027 to 2029 and offer permanent status to up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada by the end of 2027, according to the 2027-2029 immigration levels plan released with Budget 2026 on Nov. 5.

The plan also sets 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals a year over the same three years, according to immigration firm reporting on the budget text, which describes targets of 370,000 new temporary arrivals and 380,000 permanent resident admissions in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The Canadian Press reported that the government is maintaining broad targets for permanent and temporary admissions while creating the pathway for longtime temporary residents.

About half of the 200,000 spaces, 100,000, are meant for workers who qualify through Express Entry or provincial nominee programs, according to immigration.ca, which cited the budget. The budget proposes $302.3 million over four years starting in 2027-28 for the effort. Who qualifies for the other 100,000 spaces, how candidates will be chosen and whether those admissions count inside the 380,000 target have not been made public.

The government has said more detail will follow when the immigration minister tables the annual report to Parliament on immigration. No date has been given. Some outlets have reported class-by-class splits and a planning range around the 380,000 figure, but those numbers were not confirmed by a second source at the time of writing.

The new arrivals target is well below recent levels. Budget figures cited by immigration.ca show 686,010 new temporary arrivals in 2024 and 483,655 permanent resident admissions that year. The 380,000 target is about 21 per cent below the 2024 admissions.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab is responsible for the plan. We reported before the budget that the levels plan was expected with it, and the Conservatives had called for deeper cuts; see our earlier stories on the plan’s expected release and the Conservative call for deeper cuts.

Temporary residents who think the measure may apply to them should watch the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website for eligibility rules and avoid acting on unofficial claims. IRCC, or a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer, can advise on individual cases. The budget is published at budget.canada.ca.

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