Breaking News: Canada Unveils New Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027

October 24,2024 Amritpal Kaur

The new Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027 outlines the country’s approach to welcoming new permanent and temporary residents over the next three years. Here's a simplified breakdown:

Permanent Resident Targets:

1. Focus on Transitioning Current Temporary Residents:
   A significant part of the new plan is aimed at converting temporary residents (students and workers already in Canada) into permanent residents. These individuals already have housing and jobs, so their integration is smoother, helping the workforce without increasing pressure on social services.

2. Long-Term Economic Growth:
   A large portion of admissions will focus on economic immigration, targeting sectors like health and trades. By 2027, 61.7% of all permanent resident admissions will be in the economic category, aiming to support industries facing labor shortages.

3. Francophone Immigration:
   Canada aims to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants, especially outside of Quebec, aiming for 8.5% in 2025, growing to 10% by 2027. This is to strengthen Francophone communities and support their economic development.

4. Overall Targets:

   • 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025

   • 380,000 in 2026

   • 365,000 in 2027

   This is a reduction compared to previous targets, as the 2024 plan aimed at welcoming 485,000 immigrants.

Temporary Resident Targets:

For the first time, Canada has set specific targets for temporary residents (workers and students):

1. Worker Arrivals:
   These include people coming under programs like the International Mobility Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

2. Student Arrivals:
   Canada will continue to admit a significant number of international students, contributing to economic and cultural growth.

Total Temporary Resident Arrivals:

• 673,650 in 2025

• 516,600 in 2026

• 543,600 in 2027

There’s a goal to reduce the number of temporary residents in the upcoming years, with a slight increase expected in 2027.

What’s Unique in the 2025-2027 Plan?

• Permanent and Temporary Targets:
  For the first time, Canada is setting targets for both permanent and temporary residents.

• Reduction in Overall Immigration:
  The government is planning to decrease the number of both permanent and temporary residents, focusing on stabilizing immigration numbers and addressing workforce needs more efficiently.

Previous Plan (2024-2026):

• The 2024-2026 plan targeted much higher levels of immigration, aiming to welcome up to 500,000 new permanent residents per year in 2025 and 2026. The new plan marks a significant reduction in these numbers.

In nutshell, the 2025-2027 plan reduces immigration targets, focuses on converting temporary residents to permanent ones, supports key economic sectors, and aims to strengthen Francophone communities.

In my view, this strategic shift could prove beneficial for Canada's labor market but may disappoint those hoping for faster family reunification or humanitarian entries.