In a long-awaited move, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) tabled its Immigration Levels Plan for 2026-2028 on 5 November 2025. The blueprint keeps Canada’s annual permanent-resident admissions at 380,000 but orders the sharpest contraction of temporary migration since the 1990s. Planned study-permit approvals are cut nearly in half—from 305,900 to 155,000 in 2026—while temporary-foreign-worker quotas fall 37 % to 230,000. Officials say the reset responds to record population growth, housing shortages and strained settlement capacity.
The plan doubles down on economic selection: 64 % of PR places will go to economic immigrants, up from 59 % this year, and French-speaking admissions outside Québec must reach 10.5 % by 2028. IRCC will also pilot a transition pathway that grants permanent residence to 33,000 long-term work-permit holders over 2026-27, addressing employer pressure to retain essential staff.
![Ottawa unveils 2026-28 Immigration Levels Plan: permanent targets steady, temporary intakes slashed]()
Universities and business councils welcomed the policy’s stability on permanent numbers but warned that halving student visas could cost campuses billions in tuition revenue and deepen labour shortages in hospitality and retail. Immigration consultants note that the lower cap may further tighten admission offers—especially at public colleges—because institutions cannot over-issue letters of acceptance.
For global mobility managers, the message is clear: Canada remains open for skilled permanent hires but is becoming far choosier with ‘short-stay’ categories. Companies relying on international co-ops or rotational assignees should plan early and explore the International Mobility Program, which retains a 170,000 target—32 % higher than last year.
The plan doubles down on economic selection: 64 % of PR places will go to economic immigrants, up from 59 % this year, and French-speaking admissions outside Québec must reach 10.5 % by 2028. IRCC will also pilot a transition pathway that grants permanent residence to 33,000 long-term work-permit holders over 2026-27, addressing employer pressure to retain essential staff.
Universities and business councils welcomed the policy’s stability on permanent numbers but warned that halving student visas could cost campuses billions in tuition revenue and deepen labour shortages in hospitality and retail. Immigration consultants note that the lower cap may further tighten admission offers—especially at public colleges—because institutions cannot over-issue letters of acceptance.
For global mobility managers, the message is clear: Canada remains open for skilled permanent hires but is becoming far choosier with ‘short-stay’ categories. Companies relying on international co-ops or rotational assignees should plan early and explore the International Mobility Program, which retains a 170,000 target—32 % higher than last year.
