IRCC Policy Update — May 29, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026 (down from 673,650 in 2025) and aims to reduce Canada's temporary population to below 5% of total population by end of 2027, with permanent resident admissions stabilized at up to 416,500 in 2026.
New regulations effective July 15, 2026 strengthen oversight of immigration and citizenship consultants, including increased penalties for rule-breaking, new public register transparency requirements (starting April 2027), and improved misconduct investigation processes.
Permanent economic immigration will account for 64% of all immigration in 2027 and 2028 — described as the highest proportion in decades — with Express Entry and PNP as the primary vehicles.
What You Should Do
- If you are working with an immigration consultant, verify their license on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants' public register at college-ic.ca before July 15, 2026, when new oversight regulations take effect. Starting April 2027, additional consultant information will be required on the public register.
- If you are a temporary resident (student or worker) in Canada, review whether your status is at risk under the government's plan to reduce the temporary population to below 5% of Canada's total population by end of 2027. Check your options for permanent residence pathways at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html.
- Employers relying on temporary foreign workers should review the 2026–2028 Levels Plan at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels.html to understand how reduced TFWP targets (60,000) and increased IMP targets (170,000) affect their hiring strategies for 2026–2028.
Sources
Topics Covered
The 2026–2028 plan cuts new temporary resident arrivals from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026, stabilizes PR admissions at up to 416,500, and sets a goal of reducing the temporary resident share of the population to below 5% by end of 2027. Economic immigration will make up 64% of all PR admissions by 2027–2028.
More IRCC Policy Updates
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Jun 11, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — June 8, 2026
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IRCC Policy Update — June 4, 2026
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