IRCC's new plan, published 5 November, keeps 380,000 permanent residents a year, cuts Federal High Skilled, raises provincial nominees; the budget proposes up to 200,000 in-Canada transitions by end-2027.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published its 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan on 5 November 2026. The target stays at 380,000 permanent residents a year from 2027 to 2029, with 370,000 new temporary residents a year. The federal budget released the same day also proposes a time-limited measure: up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada could become permanent residents by the end of 2027.

For Chinese readers the message is clear. The total has not been loosened, and the opportunity is tilting towards people already in Canada and towards provincial nomination. Applicants still in China should not expect less competition. The plan sets targets by immigration class, not by nationality. All figures below are as of November 2026 and come from IRCC and federal budget documents.

380,000Permanent resident target per year, 2027-2029 (IRCC)
370,000New temporary residents per year, including 150,000 students (IRCC)
Up to 200,000Proposed: in-Canada temporary residents moving to PR by end-2027 (Budget 2026)

Same total, different mix

The 380,000 target matches the figure published last November, and the range moves slightly to 352,500-422,000. Economic immigration stays at 244,700 a year, above 64% of the total. The change is inside that number. Federal High Skilled (the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class programs) falls from 111,000 in the previous plan to 100,000 for 2027. The Provincial Nominee Program rises from 92,500 to 95,000, and the Atlantic Immigration Program from 4,000 to 6,000. The 2028 and 2029 figures are notional and will be confirmed or adjusted year by year.

2027 permanent resident targets: previous plan vs new plan (people)

Federal High Skilled (previous)111,000
Federal High Skilled (new)100,000
Provincial Nominee (previous)92,500
Provincial Nominee (new)95,000
Atlantic Immigration (previous)4,000
Atlantic Immigration (new)6,000

Source: IRCC supplementary information, 2026-2028 and 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plans

On the temporary side, the 370,000 splits into 220,000 workers and 150,000 students. That matches last year’s notional 2027 figures and sits a little below the 2026 targets of 230,000 workers and 155,000 students. These targets count new arrivals only, not extensions or in-Canada changes. Budget documents show new student arrivals from January to August 2026 were 71% lower than in the same period of 2024, and new worker arrivals 57% lower. Quebec’s economic targets are still to be determined and will appear in Quebec’s own plan.

Who could benefit from the 200,000 places

IRCC splits the measure into two cohorts of up to 100,000 people each:

  • Workers cohort: workers already in Canada and their families. Provinces and territories would nominate through increased Provincial Nominee allocations and identify people who have already applied under select federal programs: the Atlantic Immigration Program, Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Persons, the Agri-Food Pilot and home care worker programs. Some of these are closed to new applications.
  • Humanitarian cohort: remaining Hong Kong pathway and Ukraine Family Reunification applications, certain humanitarian and compassionate cases, and applications for spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadians and permanent residents in Canada. IRCC says wait times for the spouse class outside Quebec should move closer to 12 months.

Much is still unknown. The budget presents this as a proposal, and detailed eligibility, provincial allocations and opening dates have not been published. IRCC calls this “additional admissions space”, but the documents do not state whether these places count towards the 380,000 target. The budget says more detail on the plan will come when the Minister tables the 2026 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration.

No application route has been published. Do not trust any agent claiming to hold one of the 200,000 places or to guarantee permanent residence. Since 28 October 2026 IRCC can penalise unauthorized paid representatives C$5,000 and knowingly false information C$15,000, up to C$1.5 million in total.

What Chinese applicants should do now

  1. If you are in CanadaKeep your status valid, organise your work records and watch your province’s new nominee allocations
  2. If you have already appliedStart-up Visa, Self-Employed and Atlantic applicants should watch for notices from IRCC and their province
  3. If you are in spousal sponsorshipIRCC has not asked anyone to reapply; wait for official updates on your application
  4. If you are still in ChinaDo not build this measure into your plan, because it covers only people already in Canada. Focus on provincial nomination and the Express Entry changes announced to take effect on 3 November 2026

Routes and fees are in our Canada visa guide, and the job market is covered in our guide to working in Canada. Permanent residence applications commonly need the documents explained in getting a police certificate. For cities and daily life see the Canada country guide. Once settled, local rules on leisure, such as whether gambling is legal, are in Canada gambling laws.

Sources

  1. IRCC: Building a stronger Canada through a well-managed, predictable immigration system (5 Nov 2026) (accessed November 2026)
  2. IRCC: Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (5 Nov 2026) (accessed November 2026)
  3. IRCC: Supplementary Information for the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan (accessed November 2026)
  4. Government of Canada: Budget 2026, Chapter 3 (accessed November 2026)
  5. IRCC: New penalties for fraudulent and unauthorized immigration and citizenship representatives (28 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)
  6. Newland Chase: Express Entry changes effective November 3, 2026 (immigration firm, 16 Oct 2026) (accessed November 2026)

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