Levels Plan Update: More Permanent Residents, Fewer Temporary Permits
Author: Derek Shank
The federal government of Canada is increasing permanent-residency spots under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) while scaling back the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
For 2026 the PNP target will be 91,500 new permanent residents—66 % higher than the previous target of 55,000.
The TFWP target for 2026 is set at 60,000, reduced from the earlier target of 82,000.
At the same time the target for work permits issued under the International Mobility Program (IMP) has been raised to 170,000, up 32 % from last year’s 128,700.
Meanwhile, the government has significantly lowered its targets for all temporary-resident admissions. The annual target for international students in 2026 is now 155,000, roughly half of the previous target of 305,900.
Temporary-residence admission targets for 2026
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Workers: 230,000 (2026 plan) vs 367,750 (2025) vs 210,700 (previous 2026 plan)
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Students: 155,000 vs 305,900 vs 305,900
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Total: 385,000 vs 673,650 vs 516,600
These figures are drawn from the 2026‑2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which sets both permanent and temporary-residence targets for 2026 and provisional targets for 2027 and 2028.
Multi-year targets for temporary residents
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Workers — IMP: 170,000 (2026-2028 each year)
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Workers — TFWP: 60,000 (2026), 50,000 (2027 & 2028)
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Students: 155,000 (2026), 150,000 (2027 & 2028)
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Total temporary residents: 385,000 (2026), 370,000 (2027 & 2028)
These are substantially below last year’s plan and reflect a drop in actual admissions during 2025 — international student admissions fell around 70 % and temporary foreign worker admissions dropped roughly 50 %.
Permanent-residence admissions by category
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Economic: 239,800 (2026) vs 232,150 (2025) vs 229,750 (previous 2026 plan)
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Family reunification: 84,000 vs 94,500 vs 88,000
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Refugee/humanitarian: 56,200 vs 68,350 vs 62,250
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Total: 380,000 for 2026, unchanged from the previous plan
Estimated targets for 2027 and 2028 show minimal change (Economic ~244,700; Family ~81,000; Refugee/humanitarian ~54,300).
What the PNP increase means
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The higher PNP ceiling improves opportunities for candidates in PNP Expression-of-Interest pools who have not yet been nominated.
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It helps applicants with CRS scores too low for Express Entry or who do not qualify under the Canadian Experience Class.
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It opens pathways for those in lower-skilled occupations (TEER 4 or 5) and for business-owner streams in some PNPs.
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Provinces that previously restricted eligibility may now broaden their criteria given the expanded allocations.
Changes in work permit programs
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TFWP: Employer-driven, LMIA-required. Target falls to 60,000 for 2026.
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IMP: LMIA-exempt, includes open work permits (PGWPs, spousal permits), bridging work permits and mobility streams. Target rises to 170,000.
The shift signals a tighter overall approach to temporary-resident work permits.
Reducing the temporary-resident population
The government aims to reduce temporary-resident admissions to about 5 % of Canada’s population by end of 2027. Policy changes include:
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A cap on study-permit applications.
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Stricter eligibility for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) and spousal open work permits.
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A moratorium on low-wage LMIAs in regions with unemployment > 6 %.
Some measures will take years to fully materialize (for example the effects of fewer study permits).
About the Levels Plan
The annual Immigration Levels Plan must be tabled in Parliament by November 1. It sets out upcoming targets for both permanent and temporary residents. It began including temporary-resident targets only recently. Note: the plan excludes visitors, tourists, seasonal workers and asylum-seekers.
