Overview
- Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget allocates C$1.7 billion to recruit more than 1,000 top researchers.
- Ottawa will launch an “accelerated pathway” for U.S. H‑1B visa holders in the coming months.
- The immigration plan sets a target of 380,000 new permanent residents each year from 2026 through 2028.
- Temporary-resident targets fall to 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027–2028, with new study permits cut to 155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in 2027–2028.
- The government aims to reduce non‑permanent residents to under 5% of the population by end‑2027, as Universities Canada urges alignment with economic goals and Desjardins expects near‑term support for wages and easing rental inflation.