Canada is preparing to unveil a new immigration plan that will determine the number of permanent residents, international students and temporary foreign workers the country will admit between 2027 and 2029.
The federal government is expected to release its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan in early November, establishing Canada’s first official permanent-resident target for 2029 and confirming or adjusting the indicative targets already set for 2027 and 2028.
The announcement will be closely watched by prospective immigrants, international students and foreign workers, including Nigerians seeking opportunities to study, work or settle permanently in Canada.
New Immigration Plan Expected in November
Under Canada’s immigration legislation, the federal immigration minister is required to table an annual immigration levels plan in Parliament by November 1.
November 1, 2026 falls on a Sunday, when Parliament will not be sitting. The new plan is therefore expected to be tabled when the House of Commons next sits, likely in the first days of November.
The upcoming plan will cover the three-year period from 2027 through 2029.
It will set the permanent-resident admission target for 2029 while confirming or revising the provisional targets for 2027 and 2028 contained in the existing 2026–2028 plan.
Current Targets for 2027 and 2028
Canada's existing immigration plan currently sets permanent-resident admissions at 380,000 per year from 2026 through 2028.
For temporary residents, the plan established a target of 370,000 new arrivals in 2027 and another 370,000 in 2028.
The temporary-resident figures cover new arrivals under temporary worker programmes and the International Student Program. They do not include visitors, permit extensions or certain people already in Canada who change or extend their status.
For 2027, the existing temporary-resident target is divided into:
• 220,000 temporary workers
• 150,000 international students
• 370,000 total new temporary-resident arrivals
Within the worker figure, 170,000 are allocated to the International Mobility Program and 50,000 to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
However, these 2027 figures are currently notional targets, meaning they can be confirmed or adjusted in the forthcoming Immigration Levels Plan.
Canada Has Been Reducing Temporary Immigration
The new plan comes after the Canadian government significantly reduced its temporary-resident targets.
Under the previous approach, Canada had planned for 673,650 new temporary residents in 2025. The 2026–2028 plan reduced that figure to 385,000 for 2026 and 370,000 for each of 2027 and 2028.
The government said the reductions were intended to bring the number of temporary residents into better alignment with Canada's housing supply, labour-market requirements and capacity to provide public services.
Canada has also set a goal of reducing non-permanent residents to less than 5 per cent of the country's total population by the end of 2027.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer projected that the share could fall from a peak of 7.6 per cent in 2024 to just under 5 per cent by the end of 2027 if current policies remain in place.
Permanent Residence Could Also Change
While temporary-resident numbers have been reduced, Canada's permanent-resident targets have been more stable.
The current plan calls for 380,000 permanent-resident admissions annually from 2026 through 2028.
The government has also increased the proportion of permanent residents expected to enter through economic immigration. Economic immigration is projected to account for 64 per cent of admissions in 2027 and 2028, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The forthcoming 2027–2029 plan will show whether the government maintains that level, increases it or makes adjustments across different immigration categories.
Those categories include economic immigration, family reunification, refugees and protected persons, and humanitarian and other programmes.
Mark Carney Signals Possible Future Increase
The announcement comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada could eventually resume a controlled increase in population growth.
In an interview reported on September 29, Carney said the government had brought the immigration system under control and that the question was when Canada should begin increasing population growth in a controlled manner.
The comments have generated renewed attention to the upcoming immigration plan.
However, the government has not yet announced the specific 2027–2029 targets, so any claim that Canada has already decided to increase immigration would be premature.
The new levels plan will provide the official figures.
What It Could Mean for International Students and Workers
International students and temporary foreign workers are likely to pay particular attention to the new targets.
The current plan provides for 150,000 new international-student arrivals in both 2027 and 2028.
Temporary foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are currently allocated 50,000 places in each of those years, while the International Mobility Program has a target of 170,000 annually.
Changes to these figures could affect the number of new applicants who are able to enter Canada through study and work routes.
However, the targets concern new arrivals, rather than every person who holds temporary status in Canada during the year.
Government Also Plans Transition to Permanent Residence
Canada has also introduced measures aimed at transitioning some temporary residents already in the country into permanent residence.
The 2026–2028 plan includes a one-time initiative to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residency during 2026 and 2027.
The measure is focused on workers who have established themselves in Canadian communities and possess skills and experience considered useful to the economy.
This approach means Canada's immigration strategy is not solely about controlling new arrivals. It also involves determining which people already living and working in the country can transition to permanent status.
Nigerians Await Clarity on New Rules
The new targets will be particularly relevant to Nigerians considering Canada as a destination for education, employment or permanent residence.
Canada remains a major destination for international migrants, but the government's recent policy direction has involved tighter management of temporary migration and greater emphasis on economic needs.
The 2027–2029 plan should provide clearer information about the number of spaces available and how they will be distributed among different immigration pathways.
For applicants, the overall permanent-resident figure will be only one part of the picture. The allocation among economic programmes, provincial nominee programmes, family reunification and other categories could have a direct effect on individual immigration opportunities.
Similarly, changes to student and temporary-worker targets could affect prospective applicants planning to enter Canada through those routes.
Official Figures Expected in November
For now, Canada's existing figures remain the applicable reference point: 380,000 permanent-resident admissions and 370,000 new temporary-resident arrivals are currently planned for 2027.
Those figures could change when the federal government tables the new Immigration Levels Plan.
The 2027–2029 plan is therefore expected to provide an important indication of the direction of Canada's immigration policy under the Mark Carney government.
Until the new plan is formally announced, prospective immigrants and temporary-resident applicants should treat reports about specific new quotas as unconfirmed.
