Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan: Consultations Open Until June 14

Posted by: Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB #R708308 | VG Immigration Services Canada

Published: May 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan: Consultations Are Open — Here’s What’s Likely Coming

IRCC opened public consultations on the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan on May 12, 2026 — and they will run until June 14, 2026. The next three-year plan must be tabled in Parliament by November 1, 2026 (or shortly after), and the input that gets submitted this month will directly shape how many permanent residents Canada admits in 2027, 2028, and 2029.

The current 2026-2028 plan is the baseline, and the federal government has already locked in three big commitments that will shape what comes next. For anyone with an in-flight Express Entry profile, PNP intention, family sponsorship, or temporary-to-permanent transition plan, this is the most important Levels Plan window in years.

Key Highlights

• Consultation window: May 12 to June 14, 2026 (open now)
• Plan being shaped: 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan
• Plan tabling deadline: By November 1, 2026 (statutory requirement under IRPA s. 94)
• Current baseline (2026-2028 plan): Permanent resident admissions stabilized at 380,000 per year — range 350,000 to 420,000
• Economic share trajectory: Rising from 59% in 2025 to 64% in 2027 and 2028
• 2026 economic-class target: Approximately 239,800 spaces (rising to 244,700 in 2027 and 2028)
• 2026 family-class target: Approximately 84,000 spaces (declining to 81,000 in 2027 and 2028)
• 2026 refugee/protected/H&C target: Approximately 56,200 spaces (declining to 54,300 in 2027 and 2028)
• Provincial Nominee Program: Rebounded from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026
• Francophone admissions outside Quebec: 9% target in 2026 → 10.5% in 2028 → 12% by 2029
• Temporary residents: 385,000 in 2026; 370,000 in 2027 and 2028 (down from 673,650 in 2025 — a 43% one-year reduction)
• One-time transitions to PR: Up to 33,000 temporary workers across 2026-2027; approximately 115,000 Protected Persons across 2026-2027

The Three Federal Commitments That Will Anchor the 2027-2029 Plan

Three commitments have already been announced and will frame the next plan no matter what comes out of the consultation. Anyone planning a Canadian immigration application should be reading every news cycle through these three lenses.

1. Reduce the temporary resident population to less than 5% of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027. This is the most aggressive structural commitment. It directly affects work permit availability, study permit caps, PGWP eligibility, and the volume of in-Canada applicants who can be in the system at any one time.
2. Stabilize permanent resident admissions at less than 1% of Canada’s total population after 2027. At Canada’s current population (approximately 41 million), that is a ceiling of roughly 410,000 PR admissions per year — meaning the 2027-2029 plan is unlikely to exceed the 420,000 high range already established in the 2026-2028 plan.
3. Achieve 12% Francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2029. This is a non-negotiable target driven by the Modernized Official Languages Act and the goal of restoring the demographic weight of Francophone communities outside Quebec to 1971 levels.

What the 2026-2028 Plan Already Tells Us About 2027 and 2028

The current plan sets “notional” targets of 380,000 for both 2027 and 2028. Those numbers will be confirmed (or revised) when the 2027-2029 plan is tabled. Within that 380,000 envelope, the category split has been signalled:

Category	2026 Target	2027-2028 Notional	2027 Share
Economic class (total)	~239,800	~244,700	64%
— PNP allocation	91,500	TBD	—
Family class	~84,000	~81,000	~21%
Refugee / Protected / H&C	~56,200	~54,300	~14%
Total PR admissions	380,000	380,000	100%

Two patterns stand out. First, the economic share keeps growing — both as a percentage of total admissions and in absolute numbers. Second, family class and refugee/H&C are projected to shrink slightly in 2027-2028, which has direct timeline implications for sponsorship applicants and protected persons.

The Temporary-to-Permanent Pipeline — Two One-Time Initiatives

Two specific transition programs already announced will run through 2027 and may be extended in the 2027-2029 plan:

• In-Canada Workers Initiative: Up to 33,000 temporary workers will move from work permits to permanent residence across 2026 and 2027. Approximately 20,000 of those grants are slated for 2026, with the balance in 2027. The IRCC progress update reported 3,600 PR grants in January-February 2026 alone — suggesting the pace is solid.
• Protected Persons Transition: Approximately 115,000 eligible Protected Persons already in Canada will be transitioned to permanent residence across 2026-2027. This is the largest one-time transition of this kind in recent memory and is designed to clear the backlog of accepted refugee claimants waiting for PR confirmation.

What This Means for You — Strategic Implications by Pathway

Where you sit in Canada’s immigration system right now determines exactly which lever from the Levels Plan will affect your timeline most.

If You Are an Express Entry Candidate

The PNP allocation rebounding from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026 is your biggest macro signal. Provincial nomination pathways are getting more invitations to issue, which means PNP base and enhanced nominations remain a high-leverage route. Federal Skilled Worker and CEC slots are also expanding modestly. With economic class climbing toward 64% of total admissions, every category-based draw type (French, healthcare, STEM, trades, transport, agriculture, education) is being prioritized.

If You Are a Temporary Worker Hoping to Transition

The In-Canada Workers Initiative is the most direct path for a defined group of 33,000 workers across 2026-2027. Outside of that program, the general decline in temporary resident admissions (385,000 in 2026 → 370,000 in 2027-2028) means your runway is shrinking. Plan your PR application well before your work permit expiry, and consider provincial nomination if your CEC CRS is below the typical cutoff.

If You Are an International Student

International student admissions dropped nearly 50% from 305,900 in 2025 to 155,000 in 2026 under the current plan. The 2027-2029 plan is expected to continue this restraint. Choose your program carefully — DLI eligibility, PGWP-eligible programs, and field of study aligned with category-based draws (healthcare, STEM, trades) will matter more than ever.

If You Are Sponsoring a Family Member

Family-class admissions are slated to decline from 84,000 in 2026 to 81,000 in 2027-2028. Spousal sponsorship continues to receive the largest share. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake will stay capped — if the lottery is your only viable route, plan accordingly. The Super Visa remains an important interim option for parents and grandparents who do not need to settle permanently right away.

If You Are a Protected Person or H&C Applicant

The 115,000 Protected Persons transition is the single largest opportunity. If you have a positive RPD or RAD decision and are waiting for PR confirmation, your application falls within this window. For H&C applicants, the overall category is shrinking modestly — the bar for a successful application remains evidence-heavy, as recent Federal Court decisions (including the Ghasedi v Canada 2026 FC 608 ruling we covered earlier this month) confirm.

If You Are a Francophone or French-Speaking Applicant

The 12% target by 2029 is a major opportunity. Federal Selection Spaces of 5,000 for Francophone immigrants are already allocated, and French-category Express Entry draws have been running at CRS thresholds well below general CEC rounds — as low as 393 in 2026. NCLC 7 proficiency in French opens a substantially easier path to PR than English-only candidates of the same skill profile.

How to Submit Your Input — and Why You Should

IRCC’s consultation is open to individuals, organizations, employers, settlement agencies, educational institutions, advocacy groups, municipal governments, Indigenous organizations, Francophone community groups, and the general public. The survey asks five themes:

1. Effects of immigration on your community or sector
2. Desired changes to future immigration levels
3. Regional pressures, opportunities, and demographic trends
4. Long-term priorities beyond 2029
5. Challenges or barriers in the current immigration system

This is one of the few formal mechanisms where the public’s perspective is recorded in IRCC’s planning documents. Whether you are a temporary worker waiting for a PR pathway, an employer relying on the LMIA stream, an educational institution managing PGWP transitions, or a settlement agency seeing what is happening on the ground, the consultation is your direct channel into the 2027-2029 numbers.

How VG Immigration Can Help

The Levels Plan is the macro frame. Your actual file lives in the micro details — eligibility for category-based draws, choice of PNP stream, sponsorship readiness, document authenticity, timing of applications relative to processing inventory. Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB (R708308), Commissioner of Oaths, at VG Immigration Services builds personalized pathway plans aligned with the current and upcoming Levels Plan, the realistic processing capacity for each stream, and the candidate’s individual profile.

If your immigration timeline crosses 2027 or 2028, book a strategic consultation now. The decisions you make about which stream to pursue, which province to apply to, and when to file will be more important in the next three years than they have been in the last five.

📅 Book a Consultation | Visit vgis.ca | 💬 WhatsApp

Related reading on vgis.ca:

• In-Canada Workers Initiative, OINP, BC PNP and Express Entry analysis
• Book a 1-on-1 consultation with Dimple Verma, RCIC-IRB

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