On November 4, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially released the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, maintaining annual permanent resident targets at 380,000 for the next three years while gradually reducing the number of temporary residents—including international students and foreign workers. The plan aims to balance population growth with Canada’s housing, healthcare, and infrastructure capacity, while increasing the share of economic and francophone immigrants. This Q&A explains the plan’s key points, policy direction, and what it means for prospective applicants.

On November 4, 2025, the Government of Canada officially released the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, setting an annual target of 380,000 permanent residents for each of the next three years. The plan aims to maintain steady immigration growth while tightening the inflow of temporary residents—including international students and foreign workers. Announced as part of the 2025 federal budget, the plan marks a policy shift from “expansion” to “stabilization,” emphasizing the balance between immigration growth and the country’s capacity in housing, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced an update to the list of countries whose citizens must complete an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) when applying for temporary residence in Canada. Effective November 3, 2025, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and Venezuela have been added to the list, while Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, and Taiwan have been removed. Applicants from newly added countries will now need to complete an IME, whereas those from the removed regions will no longer be required to do so. The new rules apply to individuals who have lived in or traveled to these countries for six consecutive months within the year before their intended arrival in Canada.

On October 27, 2025, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) conducted an unannounced draw, issuing 159 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates. The selection specifically targeted international graduates from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Holland College, and Collège de l’Île who are currently living and working in the province. The move breaks from PEI’s regular draw schedule, signaling the province’s intention to accelerate its intake of skilled talent with local education and employment experience.

On October 17, 2025, Prince Edward Island (PEI) conducted its second-largest immigration draw of the year under the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), issuing 160 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for provincial nomination. The draw primarily targeted skilled workers already employed in the province in priority occupations, as well as international graduates from designated educational institutions. As of October 26, 2025, PEI has issued a total of 1,081 ITAs through its PNP this year.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expected to release the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan by November 1, 2025, outlining Canada’s immigration targets for both permanent and temporary residents over the next three years. Based on previous federal commitments and recent immigration trends, the number of permanent residents admitted in 2026 is projected to remain below 416,500, aligning with the government’s policy to stabilize growth. While Express Entry allocations are expected to continue their upward trajectory following last year’s increase, Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) quotas—previously reduced significantly in 2025—may rebound after several provinces successfully lobbied for additional spots. On the other hand, temporary resident policies are set to tighten further, as Ottawa continues its plan to reduce non-permanent residents to below 5% of the total population. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is undergoing structural reforms, while international student intake caps will remain strict. French-speaking immigration continues to be a key focus, with targets for Francophone permanent residents outside Quebec rising gradually to 12% by 2029.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced Bill C-12, aiming to modernize and strengthen the management of Canada’s immigration system while addressing long-standing backlogs. If passed, the bill would grant the Minister expanded authority to pause or terminate the processing of certain immigration categories. Analysts suggest that the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program — already facing significant application backlogs — could be among the most directly affected, particularly for applicants supported by designated business incubators that fail to comply with Ministerial Instructions (MI72).

The Ontario government has announced plans to expand its “As of Right” labor mobility framework effective January 1, 2026, adding 16 regulated healthcare professions such as dentists, psychologists, dietitians, and midwives. This change will allow certified professionals from other Canadian provinces to obtain Ontario work authorization within as little as 10 days, compared to the current process, which can take up to six months. At the same time, physicians and nurses will be able to receive certification in as few as two business days. The move aims to address Ontario’s ongoing healthcare labor shortages while improving mobility for both Canadian and internationally trained professionals seeking to build long-term careers in the province.

Between October 6 and 9, 2025, the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP) held three consecutive draws, issuing invitations to apply to over 500 candidates. The draws were conducted through two main categories: the New Brunswick Express Entry stream for individuals employed in the province, and the Skilled Worker stream for those working in priority occupations. The provincial government also reminded applicants that not all applications submitted in response to these draws will be processed by the end of 2025.

The Government of British Columbia announced on October 2, 2025, that the province's Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has received an additional 1,254 nomination allocations from the federal government. This brings British Columbia's total allocation for 2025 from 4,000 to 5,254. The provincial government stated that it will prioritize using these additional allocations to process backlogged International Post-Graduate (IPG) stream applications from 2024, while continuing to focus on attracting healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and high economic impact candidates.