The updated federal Immigration Levels Plan quietly trims refugee and humanitarian admissions to 49,000 for 2026, down from roughly 58,000 this year. Speaking to The Canadian Press on November 6, officials said the change aligns immigration with fiscal realities and labour-market needs, but advocacy groups warned it could strand thousands in limbo.
The plan still contains a one-time measure to regularise 115,000 protected persons already in Canada, yet new arrivals under resettlement programs will shrink. Special humanitarian corridors for Hong Kong, Ukraine and Sudan remain open but receive only 5,800 places—well below current application volumes.
![Humanitarian permanent-residence spaces cut by 15 % as Ottawa prioritises economic intake]()
Roy Lee of the Hong Kong Pathways Alliance called for a standalone intake increase, noting a backlog exceeding 50,000. The Canadian Council for Refugees, meanwhile, argues that reducing future spots while clearing backlogs amounts to “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
For mobility and relocation teams working with NGOs and UN agencies, the message is to anticipate fewer federal referral slots and longer processing queues. Employers seeking to hire protected persons should budget extra time for work-permit extensions because permanent-residence finalisation could take several years.
The cut also underlines Ottawa’s overarching strategy: hold the overall PR target steady at 380,000 but tilt the composition toward workers selected for economic impact.
The plan still contains a one-time measure to regularise 115,000 protected persons already in Canada, yet new arrivals under resettlement programs will shrink. Special humanitarian corridors for Hong Kong, Ukraine and Sudan remain open but receive only 5,800 places—well below current application volumes.
Roy Lee of the Hong Kong Pathways Alliance called for a standalone intake increase, noting a backlog exceeding 50,000. The Canadian Council for Refugees, meanwhile, argues that reducing future spots while clearing backlogs amounts to “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
For mobility and relocation teams working with NGOs and UN agencies, the message is to anticipate fewer federal referral slots and longer processing queues. Employers seeking to hire protected persons should budget extra time for work-permit extensions because permanent-residence finalisation could take several years.
The cut also underlines Ottawa’s overarching strategy: hold the overall PR target steady at 380,000 but tilt the composition toward workers selected for economic impact.
