Canada To Set New Targets For Immigrants, Temporary Residents

Canada is set to unveil new immigration targets for permanent residents and temporary residents as the government prepares its 2027 to 2029 Immigration Levels Plan.

The plan is expected to be presented in Parliament in early November, following the statutory requirement for the immigration minister to table an annual immigration levels plan by November 1. This year, November 1 falls on a Sunday, meaning the plan is expected to be tabled when Parliament next sits.

The forthcoming plan will establish Canada’s first official target for permanent resident admissions in 2029 and will confirm or revise the indicative targets for 2027 and 2028 contained in the current 2026 to 2028 plan.

Under the existing plan, Canada has set permanent resident admissions at 380,000 annually from 2026 through 2028. New temporary resident arrivals are targeted at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.

The temporary resident figures cover new arrivals under the international student programme and temporary worker programmes. For 2027 and 2028, the current targets include 150,000 international students and 220,000 temporary workers annually.

The Canadian government has been reducing temporary resident arrivals as part of efforts to bring the temporary population below five per cent of the country’s total population by the end of 2027.

Canada’s immigration policy has also placed greater emphasis on economic immigration and skilled workers. Under the current plan, economic immigration is expected to account for 64 per cent of permanent resident admissions in 2027 and 2028.

The government has also introduced temporary measures aimed at transitioning some people already living and working in Canada to permanent residence. One initiative is expected to accelerate the transition of 33,000 skilled temporary workers to permanent residency over 2026 and 2027.

The new targets will be closely watched by prospective immigrants, international students and temporary workers, including Nigerians considering Canada for study, employment or permanent residence.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said the government would consider when to begin a controlled increase in population growth after what he described as efforts to bring the immigration system under control.

The 2027 to 2029 plan will therefore provide a clearer indication of the direction of Canada’s immigration system and the number of newcomers expected to enter the country over the next three years.