The Canadian government releases its Immigration Levels Plan (ILP) each year before the end of October. This plan sets out the country’s immigration priorities for the coming three years.

On October 24, 2024, Canada introduced its Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, marking a pivotal shift in its immigration strategy.

This new plan addresses both temporary and permanent resident targets, focusing on balancing Canada’s growth while addressing infrastructure, housing, and labour market pressures.

Key Categories:

1. Economic Immigrants: Includes skilled workers, regional pathways, federal business categories, and programs for caregivers and pilots in rural areas.
2. Family Reunification: Spouses, partners, children, and parents/grandparents.
3. Refugees and Protected Persons: Resettled refugees, government-assisted refugees, and protected persons in Canada.
4. Humanitarian Grounds: Includes admissions based on compassionate or public policy reasons.

Overview of the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan:

1. Permanent Resident Targets:

The total target for permanent residents will decrease significantly over the next three years. The targets are set at:

• 395,000 in 2025 (down from 500,000 in the previous plan)
• 380,000 in 2026
• 365,000 in 2027

The decrease in targets reflects a response to concerns about the impact of high immigration numbers on Canada’s infrastructure and housing
.
2.    Focus on Economic Immigration:

• Economic immigration, particularly through Federal Economic Programs and Provincial Nominee Programs, will remain a priority. By 2027, 61.7% of immigration will come through economic categories.
• Specific sectors, including healthcare and skilled trades, are identified for targeted immigration to meet labour shortages.

3.    Francophone Immigration:

• The plan introduces specific targets for Francophone immigration (French-speaking TRs) outside of Quebec, with the share of new permanent residents rising from 8.5% in 2025 to 10% in 2027.

4.    Increased Focus on In-Canada Residents:

• Over 40% of new permanent residents in 2025 will be individuals already in Canada, including international students and temporary foreign workers. The strategy includes transitioning many temporary residents to permanent status, particularly those already settled in the country, such as students and workers to avoid adding additional strain on housing and social services.

5.    Temporary Residents:

• The new Levels Plan (ILP) introduces specific targets for temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers, for the first time. The government aims to reduce the temporary resident population from 6.5% to 5% of Canada’s total population by 2026. 
• The targets for temporary residents are set for the next few years as shown in the table below. These numbers include new work and study permits. In 2025, 45% of these arrivals will be international students. This percentage will increase to 59% in 2026 and stay at 56% in 2027. The rest will be temporary workers in the International Mobility Program (IMP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. These targets aim to meet labour needs, especially in sectors that depend on temporary workers.

                                                       2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan

The idea is to mitigate some of the pressures caused by a large temporary resident population while addressing Canada’s labour market needs at the same time.

This will perhaps focus on retaining talented individuals who have already integrated into Canadian society and the workforce, particularly those with skills that are in demand.

Overall, the New ILP reflects Canada’s response to current demographic and economic challenges, aiming to ensure sustainable growth while still fulfilling its need for newcomers to support its workforce and economy.