Canada's Immigration Levels Plan 2026-2028 aims to increase the number of economic immigrants coming to the country while reducing temporary migration, primarily through a drastic reduction in student visas.
The new plan halves the projected number of student visas for the next three years, from approximately 306,000 in the previous year's plan to 155,000 in 2026. The government expects to issue around 150,000 student visas annually in both 2027 and 2028.
The new plan maintains the previously announced reduction in the number of temporary workers by 2026, with a revised target of 230,000, slightly higher than the previous goal of 210,000 for that year. This figure represents a significant decrease from the nearly 368,000 temporary workers who will be admitted to Canada during 2025.
The budget document indicates that these targets will reduce the proportion of temporary immigrants in the population to less than 51% by the end of 2027.
The budget document notes that the government recognizes the key role played by temporary workers in some sectors and will seek to ensure that rural, remote and tariff-affected businesses have sufficient staff.
The government plans to admit approximately 380,000 new permanent residents annually between 2026 and 2028.
The plan prioritizes economic migrants, with a target of just under 240,000 in 2026. This number increases to nearly 245,000 in 2027 and 2028 — representing an increase of approximately 10,000 above the previous target set for 2026.
The budget also proposes a plan to "accelerate" the granting of permanent residence to 33,000 work permit holders over the next two years (2026-2027).
The budget includes a multi-year recruitment plan of 1.7 billion to attract international talent. The plan focuses on bringing more than 1,000 researchers to Canadian universities in fields such as engineering, natural sciences, humanities, and health.
The goal for family reunification is reduced by approximately 4,000 immigrants compared to the previous plan, with 84,000 visas projected for 2026.
The number of refugees, protected persons and those receiving permanent residence for humanitarian reasons will also decrease in 2026, going from 62,250 in the previous plan to 54,300 in the new one.
Unlike previous tiered plans, the new budget does not specify how many visas will be allocated to specific immigration programs, such as the Provincial Nominee Program.
In addition to the tiered system, the budget proposes a one-off initiative to grant permanent resident status to eligible protected persons over the next two years. The budget describes this as a practical step, given that many protected persons are unable to return to their countries of origin.
OSK Canada Opinion: Canada is balancing the arrival of new temporary residents while remaining committed to attracting highly skilled individuals in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and technical and technological fields. The plan will also prioritize permanent residency for foreign nationals already working legally in Canada. Most importantly, Canada maintains its goal of accepting 380,000 permanent residents, with the potential to reach 420,000. This is very positive news, as a large number of temporary visa holders aspire to obtain permanent residency once they are in Canada.
If you are considering immigrating to Canada and would like to review your immigration strategy, the main stages, and procedures, OSK Canada can assess your immigration profile free of charge and help you build a strategic plan that will lead you successfully to permanent residency.
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