On October 24, Canada unveiled its Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, highlighting key targets for permanent residency and, for the first time, setting specific goals for temporary residents, including international students.
Every year, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan outlines the country’s goals for the admission of permanent residents. These goals play a vital role in bolstering economic growth, uniting families, and meeting Canada’s humanitarian responsibilities. The Immigration Levels Plan not only provides specific targets for the upcoming year but also outlines aspirational targets for the next two years—2026 and 2027. However, it is important to note that these targets for 2026 and 2027 are subject to change, as Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) finalizes the numbers for the following year by November 1 each year.
Here are the key points from the latest announcement that international students should be aware of:
Canada intends to admit a higher number of new international students compared to work permit holders
The Immigration Levels Plan for Canada has set a stable target of welcoming 305,900 new international students annually for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027. This target specifically refers to new international student arrivals, meaning it does not account for study permit renewals from students already residing in Canada.
In comparison, the number of temporary resident workers arriving in Canada—under programs like the International Mobility Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program—will experience a gradual decline over the next three years. The projected figures are as follows: 367,750 temporary worker arrivals in 2025, decreasing to 210,700 in 2026, and further dropping to 237,700 in 2027.
As a result of these trends, by 2026 and 2027, a larger share of temporary resident arrivals in Canada will be composed of international students, reflecting a shift in Canada’s immigration priorities.
Canada aims to increase the number of new PRs coming from within the country
The Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027 places a strong emphasis on easing the transition for individuals already in Canada, whether as students or workers, to become permanent residents under the “in-Canada focus” category. In 2025, IRCC expects that more than 40% of all permanent resident admissions will come from students or workers who are already residing in the country.
As part of this plan, the Federal High Skilled (FHS) category has been divided into two subcategories: Federal Economic Priorities and In-Canada Focus, with the latter receiving a higher number of admissions in the next three years. For instance, in 2025, the target for Federal Economic Priorities is 41,700, while the target for In-Canada Focus is 82,980—almost double.
This shift suggests that IRCC may explore more avenues to help temporary residents in Canada transition to permanent status, potentially through increased Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Express Entry draws or new policies that prioritize individuals already living in the country.
Provincial Nominee Programs are set to be reduced
The Immigration Levels Plan also revealed significant reductions in the targets for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) admissions in the coming years.
For 2025, the government has allocated just 55,000 spots for PNP admissions, marking a substantial decrease from the previous year’s target of 110,000 for 2024 and the originally planned target of 120,000 for 2025. This cut means that individuals, particularly students who were hoping to use provincial nominations as a route to permanent residence, may face a more competitive environment for PNP streams moving forward. The reduced number of available spots could make it harder for candidates to secure a nomination from provinces.
Increased emphasis on French language proficiency
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues to prioritize francophone immigration with its updated Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027. The plan sets a goal for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec to make up 8.5% of total admissions in 2025, increasing to 9.5% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. These targets represent an increase over the previous plan, which aimed for 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026.
For students who are not fluent in French, learning the language may be a wise decision, as French language skills could greatly improve their chances of qualifying for immigration streams that focus on francophone candidates.
Increased emphasis on high-demand occupations
Canada launched category-based selection draws in 2023 to issue ITAs to skilled workers in high-demand sectors like healthcare, STEM, trades, and transport, aimed at tackling labour shortages.
These categories are designed to evolve in response to labour market and demographic shifts. For 2025, key categories will focus on healthcare and trade occupations.
There are no plans from the government to eliminate other priority categories, such as those related to STEM, transport, agriculture, or agri-food industries.
Candidates eligible for category-based draws must have at least six months of continuous, full-time work experience (or an equivalent part-time experience) in an in-demand occupation within the past three years.
Students expecting to graduate with a Post Graduate Work Permit who are interested in pursuing permanent residency may consider targeting job roles in the priority categories for better chances in the selection process.