What to Expect from Canada’s 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan

By November 1, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will present the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which outlines Canada’s immigration targets for the next three years. This plan traditionally focuses on the number of permanent residents to be admitted each year, but this year brings a significant change.

What’s New in 2025-2027 Immigration Plan?

For the first time, temporary residents—those on work permits, study permits, and visitor visas—will be included in the plan. Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced this shift earlier in March, marking a major departure from previous plans.

In 2023, Canada hosted over 2.5 million temporary residents, representing 6.2% of the population. The new plan will aim to reduce this number to 5% over the next three years.

Study Permits: Reduced Cap on International Students

A notable change in the upcoming plan involves international students. In January, IRCC announced a cap on the number of study permits it will process, with a goal of handling 606,000 applications and approving 360,000, representing a 35% reduction in study permits issued for 2023. Previously exempt, master’s and PhD students will now also face restrictions under this new policy.

Open Work Permits: Stricter Requirements

IRCC is also tightening rules for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) and Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs). New eligibility requirements for PGWPs include a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 for university graduates and 5 for college graduates. These changes are expected to result in 175,000 fewer PGWPs issued over the next three years.

For SOWPs, spouses of international master’s students may only be eligible if the student’s program is 16 months or longer, or if they are in a critical or in-demand field. Additionally, spouses of highly skilled workers will remain eligible. The combined changes to SOWPs are expected to result in a reduction of 50,000 permits over three years.

Anticipated Impact of Immigration Plan 2025-2027

In total, the changes are expected to lead to the issuance of 325,000 fewer open work permits over the next three years, significantly impacting Canada’s temporary resident population and potentially altering trends in housing, healthcare, labor markets, and education sectors.


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