The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan cuts the number of new permanent residents while employers in health care, construction, energy, and technology still say they cannot fill jobs. The private-sector case for a steadier system is in the RBC report on immigration strategy.
The permanent-resident cap
The plan sets permanent-resident admissions at 380,000 for 2026, down from 484,000 in 2024. Ottawa has described the cut as a way to slow pressure on housing and public infrastructure. The ministers who discussed the next plan, for 2027–2029, are in the June meeting on sustainable immigration.
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Temporary residents
The same plan caps temporary-resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in each of 2027 and 2028. The stated goal is a temporary-resident share below 5 percent of the population by 2027. The labour demand does not fall with the cap. The government’s answer, set out in temporary workers already in Canada, is to move people who are already here toward permanent residence rather than to add a new cohort.
Where the jobs still are
Economic immigration is 63 percent of the 2026 target and is projected at 64 percent in 2027 and 2028. Study permits and work permits are being checked more closely, so an employer cannot assume a foreign hire will clear as quickly as in the high-arrival years. The sectors the plan still treats as short of workers are:
- Health care, including nursing.
- Construction trades tied to housing and infrastructure.
- Technical jobs in energy.
- Software and data roles.
- Specialized teaching and research.
What changes for an employer
A smaller arrival number means the default is no longer a new recruit from abroad. Firms that need a nurse or a tradesperson are being pointed at people already on a work permit. Whether that closes the vacancy depends on how fast those files move to permanent residence, which is the test the ministers left for the 2027–2029 numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 2026 permanent-resident number lower?
The plan sets 380,000, down from 484,000 in 2024, to slow pressure on housing and public infrastructure.
What happens to temporary residents?
Arrivals are capped at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, with a goal of a temporary-resident share below 5 percent by 2027. People already here are the pool for many permanent spots.
Who is most likely to be selected?
Economic immigrants are 63 percent of the 2026 target. Health care, construction, and technology are the sectors named most often, and the paperwork is tighter than it was.
