Canada’s 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan

Canada unveiled its Immigration Levels Plan for 2025–2027 in March 2024. For the first time, the government has established goals for both temporary and permanent residents in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan. The new strategy tackles persistent housing and healthcare shortages, fraud in temporary immigration programs, and labour shortages. With a modest rise in 2027, the Canadian government hopes to ameliorate the immigration situation by bringing the number of temporary residents down to 5% of the country’s overall population by 2026.

Temporary and Permanent Resident Targets

The number of temporary residents (TRs), including workers and students, is set to decrease from 673,650 in 2025 to 543,600 by 2027. International students will represent a large portion of these temporary residents, making up 45% of the total in 2025 and rising to 56-59% by 2027. The number of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) will also remain significant but will decline by 2027 due to strict regulations and a 63% reduction in the International Mobility Program (IMP) from 2023 levels.

The goal is to admit 395,000 permanent residents in 2025; by 2027, that number will have dropped by 30,000 to 365,000. Economic immigrants, skilled workers, carers, and those employed in skilled crafts and healthcare will remain the primary goals for permanent residents. About 22% of permanent admissions will be family reunion, with 58,350 refugees anticipated in 2025. Family reunification, as described on the Government of Canada website, refers to those who can live, study, and work in Canada after being sponsored by a family member and becoming permanent residents.

Increased Focus on French-Speaking Immigrants and Key Sectors

French-speaking immigrants outside of Quebec are expected to rise from 8.5% in 2025 to 10% in 2027, according to the 2025–2027 plan. Canada is prioritising certain immigrants to meet labour shortages in particular industries, especially healthcare and skilled crafts, in order to stimulate economic growth in these sectors. This is in addition to focussing on French-speaking immigrants.

Temporary Resident Reduction

The levels plan for 2025–2027 has a strong emphasis on reducing the role of temporary residents. By enforcing more stringent regulations on work and study visas, the Canadian government hopes to reduce the number of temporary residents to 5% of the population by 2026. After enrolling 682,889 international students in 2023, the number of international students will decline to 305,900 in 2025. Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) and other temporary immigration schemes will also be affected by this cut.

Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs)

It is anticipated that between 2025 and 2027, there will be 82,000 temporary foreign workers year, a substantial reduction from the more than 184,000 TFWs issued in 2023. The sectors most impacted will be those that depend most on temporary labour, such hospitality and agriculture. Stricter Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) regulations, such as higher wage standards for high-paying jobs and caps on low-paid workers, have been implemented by the government to guarantee the efficacy of this plan. Employers and their hiring procedures will then be impacted by these developments.

Canada is trying to establish an immigration system that helps the economy in addition to newcomers and citizens. Students, workers, and potential permanent residents still have a lot of space and opportunities as Canada’s immigration policy changes. Given all of these changes, please get in touch with us Kingston Immigration Consultant Pvt. Ltd. if you have any questions about which immigration program you might qualify for, and we will be happy to help you with the process.