Canada’s current immigration settings, under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, emphasize sustainability: fewer new temporary residents, stable permanent-resident numbers, and a stronger preference for people already working or studying in Canada who fill labour-market gaps. Permanent-resident admissions are targeted at 380,000 per year through 2028. Economic immigrants make up the largest share (about 63 percent in 2026, rising to 64 percent), selected mainly through Express Entry (Federal High Skilled programs, target around 109,000) and the Provincial Nominee Program.
Category-based Express Entry rounds prioritize French-language proficiency, healthcare and social-services occupations, STEM, trades, education, transport, plus newer groups such as physicians, researchers and senior managers who already have Canadian work experience, and skilled military recruits with a Canadian Forces job offer. Two time-limited measures also convert people already in Canada: up to 33,000 skilled temporary workers (focus on those with roots in smaller communities) and about 115,000 protected persons over 2026–2027. Family-class and humanitarian streams continue at smaller, relatively stable shares. New temporary-resident arrivals (workers plus students) are capped at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027–2028, with the explicit goal of bringing the overall temporary-resident population below 5 percent of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027.
For the general public seeking work or permanent residence from outside Canada, the bar is higher than in the early-2020s surge years. Federal high-skilled selection now weights Canadian work experience more heavily, and many category-based invitations require at least one year of relevant experience in the previous three years. Temporary Foreign Worker Program numbers are tightly limited (60,000 new arrivals in 2026, falling to 50,000), while the International Mobility Program remains larger (170,000). Visitors still need to show they will leave at the end of their authorized stay; work-permit and study-permit holders who want to stay longer must meet the stricter in-Canada transition rules rather than expecting automatic extensions. Processing and proof-of-funds requirements continue to be updated annually.
International-student policy has been tightened the most. The 2026 target for new student arrivals is 155,000 (roughly half the 2025 figure), with 150,000 planned for each of the following two years. IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in total in 2026, of which about 253,000 are extensions for students already in Canada. A processing cap of 309,670 applications that require a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) applies for the year; master’s and doctoral students at public designated learning institutions are exempt from the PAL requirement as of 1 January 2026. Proof-of-funds for living expenses rises to $23,448 for a single applicant (plus first-year tuition and return travel) for applications submitted on or after 1 September 2026. Compliance rules are stricter: a study permit generally becomes invalid 90 days after a student finishes their program, a new permit is required before changing institutions, and officers now examine academic progress and authorized leaves more closely.
Post-graduation work-permit eligibility remains available for graduates of eligible programs but is subject to the field-of-study and other restrictions introduced in prior years. These measures are intended to reduce pressure on housing and services while still attracting graduate-level talent. Always confirm the latest figures and forms on the official IRCC website, as allocations and financial thresholds are adjusted annually.
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