## Key takeaways
– Canada will admit 380,000 new permanent residents a year in 2027, 2028 and 2029, holding the headline number steady, while 370,000 new temporary residents arrive each year.
– The mix shifts toward the provinces: the Provincial Nominee Program rises to 95,000 admissions and the Atlantic Immigration Program rises to 6,000, while Express Entry’s Federal High Skilled allocation falls to 100,000.
– A separate time-limited measure in 2027 could move up to 200,000 people already living in Canada to permanent residence, on top of the 380,000 target.
– The Rural Community Immigration Pilot becomes a permanent program, with 5,500 admissions in 2027 rising to 6,500 by 2029.
– The 2028 and 2029 figures are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted each year, so only the 2027 numbers are firm.
## What happened
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan on November 5, 2026, alongside Budget 2026. The plan sets the number of new permanent residents Canada intends to admit each year, and how those admissions are distributed across programs, for the next three years. The headline holds steady at 380,000 permanent resident admissions a year, the same as the 2026 target, with 370,000 new temporary resident arrivals a year (220,000 workers and 150,000 international students). Economic immigration accounts for 244,700 admissions a year, about 64.4% of the total, followed by family reunification at 81,000, refugees and protected persons at 49,300, and humanitarian and compassionate cases at 5,000.
## The big shift: provinces gain, Express Entry shrinks
The most important change in the new plan is where the places go. The Provincial Nominee Program rises to 95,000 admissions a year, up from 92,500 planned for 2027 under the previous plan (about 2.7%) and from 91,500 in 2026. The Atlantic Immigration Program jumps from 4,000 to 6,000 admissions, a 50% increase, reflecting the federal government’s push to spread immigration beyond the big cities. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is being made permanent as the Rural Community Immigration Program, with targets of 5,500 admissions in 2027, 6,000 in 2028 and 6,500 in 2029. The other side of that shift is Express Entry: the Federal High Skilled allocation, which covers the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class, falls to 100,000 a year, down from 111,000 planned for 2027 under the previous plan and from 109,000 in 2026.
## Up to 200,000 people already in Canada
Separate from the regular targets, IRCC announced a time-limited measure for 2027 that could move up to 200,000 people already living in Canada to permanent residence. It covers two cohorts: a worker cohort of up to 100,000 people plus their accompanying family members, including pending applications under specified closed programs such as the Start-Up Visa, the Self-Employed Persons Program, the Agri-Food Pilot and caregiver programs, as well as workers eligible to apply through the Provincial Nominee Program. IRCC says no separate application or additional steps are required for consideration under this measure. Because it sits outside the 380,000 regular target, 2027 could see up to 580,000 new permanent residents in total. Full eligibility details have not yet been published, so applicants should wait for official guidance before relying on it.
## What it means for applicants
The plan does not change anyone’s eligibility on its own, and it does not set Express Entry draw sizes or CRS cut-offs. But it shows clearly where the opportunities are growing. Provincial nominations and Atlantic Canada are the growth areas for 2027, while federal Express Entry places are shrinking, which is likely to keep cut-off scores competitive. Candidates already in Canada should watch for details of the time-limited measure, and anyone considering a provincial nomination should look at which provinces and communities are nominating in their occupation. The plan also raises French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, from 9.5% of admissions in 2027 to 10.5% in 2028 and 12% in 2029. Targets for 2028 and 2029 are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted each November, so the 2027 numbers are the ones to plan around now.
## Frequently asked questions
Q: How many permanent residents will Canada admit in 2027?
A: 380,000, the same as the 2026 target. The same figure is planned for 2028 and 2029, but those years are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted each year.
Q: What changed for the Provincial Nominee Program?
A: The PNP target rises to 95,000 admissions a year, up from 92,500 planned for 2027 under the previous plan. The Atlantic Immigration Program rises from 4,000 to 6,000, a 50% increase.
Q: Why did the Express Entry allocation fall?
A: The Federal High Skilled target drops to 100,000 a year, down from 111,000 planned for 2027 under the previous plan. IRCC is shifting places toward provincial and regional programs.
Q: What is the measure for up to 200,000 people already in Canada?
A: A time-limited 2027 measure that could move up to 200,000 people already living in Canada to permanent residence, in two cohorts including a worker cohort of up to 100,000 plus families. It sits outside the 380,000 regular target and needs no separate application, but full eligibility details have not been published yet.
Q: Does the plan change Express Entry draws or CRS cut-offs?
A: No. The plan sets admission targets, not invitation numbers or cut-off scores. Draw schedules and cut-offs are set separately.
For help checking your eligibility or preparing your application, contact ImmiQuest Immigration at +1 778-855-4155, info@immiquest.ca, or https://immiquest.ca. Vikas Tulashyam, RCIC #R709710