Canada Announces 33,000 Permanent Residency Permits for Foreign Workers

Canada has announced a new immigration initiative that will allow up to 33,000 work permit holders to transition to permanent residency (PR) by 2027.

The move is part of the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, revealed in Budget 2025 and presented to Parliament by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government.

Key Highlights of the 2026 Immigration Targets:

• Permanent residency target for 2026 remains unchanged at 380,000.
• Temporary resident admissions will be significantly reduced to 385,000, down 43% from 673,650 in 2025.
• International student admissions will decline sharply from 305,900 in 2025 to 155,000 in 2026.
• Temporary foreign worker admissions will fall by 37%, from 367,750 to 230,000 in 2026.
• Protected Persons living in Canada will also be eligible for PR under this plan.

Canada’s immigration plan continues to prioritize economic categories, with 64% of PR admissions allocated to this stream in 2026.

• The economic immigration target rises slightly to 239,800 (up from 229,750 last year).
• Family reunification admissions will drop to 84,000.
• Refugee and humanitarian entries are expected to decrease to 56,200, down from 62,250 previously.

Further insights into the policy, particularly the PR transition program for work permit holders, as well as details on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP), are expected in the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration.