Overview
- Budget 2025 fixes permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year from 2026 to 2028 while cutting temporary resident targets to 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027–28.
- Study‑permit targets fall to 155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in 2027–28, with Immigration Minister Lena Diab saying applications from residents already in Canada will get priority for permanent residence.
- Ottawa will run one‑off conversions worth about 148,000 permanent resident spots over two years, including roughly 115,000 refugees and an extra 33,000 work‑permit holders in 2026–27.
- The plan boosts provincial selection to address regional needs, raising Provincial Nominee Program allocations to 91,500 next year.
- Alongside cuts, the government launches targeted recruitment, earmarking C$1.7 billion to hire over 1,000 researchers and preparing an accelerated pathway for US H‑1B holders, as Quebec warns federal temporary cuts are creating a labour “emergency” and sets its own 45,000 PR target.