Good decisions about Canada start with the numbers: how many people Canada plans to admit, and who is actually being invited. This page is for families and professionals who want to read those numbers for themselves and see what they mean for their own plan.
The big picture: Canada's targets for 2026–2028
Every year the federal government publishes an Immigration Levels Plan. The current plan, tabled on 5 November 2025, keeps total permanent-resident admissions flat and cuts temporary arrivals.
| Permanent residents | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total admissions | 380,000 | 380,000 | 380,000 |
| Economic class | 239,800 | 244,700 | 244,700 |
| Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 109,000 | 111,000 | 111,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Programs | 91,500 | 92,500 | 92,500 |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Federal economic pilots | 8,175 | 8,775 | 8,775 |
| Family | 84,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 |
| Refugees and protected persons | 49,300 | 49,300 | 49,300 |
New temporary residents are planned at 385,000 in 2026, then 370,000 in 2027 and 2028: 155,000 students in 2026 (150,000 after) and 230,000 workers in 2026 (220,000 after). The stated goal is to bring temporary residents below 5% of the population by the end of 2027. On top of the targets, up to 33,000 work-permit holders are to be moved to permanent residence in 2026–2027 through a one-time initiative.
The 2027–2029 plan has not been tabled yet; it is expected around the start of November 2026, and it may change these figures.
What it says: Express Entry and the provincial programs together carry about half of all permanent-resident admissions, but with fewer places than in earlier years. Students and workers can still come, in smaller numbers, and the economic route to permanent residence increasingly runs through experience gained in Canada or through a province.
Express Entry draws in 2026: the pattern
Draws follow a near-fortnightly cycle: a provincial nominee draw, then a Canadian Experience Class draw, then one category draw later that week. There has been no general (all-program) draw, and no FSW-only or FSTP-only draw, since January 2025.
Ranges seen from January to 1 October 2026, from IRCC's own rounds data:
| Draw type | CRS cut-off range | Invitations per draw |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial nominees | 697–805 | 264–955 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 507–523 | 1,000–8,000 |
| French-language proficiency | 382–420 | 4,000–8,500 |
| Healthcare and social services | 467–475 | 3,500–4,000 |
| Trades | 476–477 | 3,000–3,500 |
| Physicians with Canadian experience | 169–223 | 229–391 |
| Senior managers with Canadian experience | 389–429 | 250–500 |
| Transport | one draw, at 470 | 300 |
| Skilled military recruits | one draw, at 368 | 4 |
For comparison, in 2025 CEC cut-offs ran 515–547, French 379–481, healthcare and social services 462–510, education 462–479 (two draws) and trades 505 (one draw); provincial draws ran 667–855. CEC cut-offs have eased slightly in 2026, and French draws have grown larger.
These ranges change with every round. They describe a pattern, not a promise, and not the next cut-off.
Which categories have drawn, and which have not
The ten 2026 categories were announced on 18 February 2026. By 1 October 2026:
- Have drawn in 2026: French-language proficiency; healthcare and social services; trades; physicians with Canadian experience; senior managers with Canadian experience; transport; skilled military recruits.
- No draw yet in 2026: researchers with Canadian experience; STEM; education.
- STEM has had no draw in 2025 or 2026. Education drew twice in 2025 but not yet in 2026.
A category on the list is not a category that is drawing. We plan on the ones that are.
How to read the numbers for your own plan
- Find the draws you can actually be selected in. If you have no Canadian experience, the CEC range does not apply to you. If your NOC code is not in a category, that category's range does not apply either.
- Compare your score with the range, not with one draw. A score at the bottom of a range is a hope; a score comfortably above it is a plan.
- Look for the cheaper route. For many candidates abroad the French range, an eligible category, or a provincial nomination (+600 points) is more realistic than waiting for a general draw that has not happened since 2024. See the CRS for what raises a score.
- Watch the next levels plan. If the Federal High Skilled target moves in November 2026, the pace of draws can move with it.
- Allow for processing. IRCC's standard is to finalize 80% of Express Entry applications within six months; its latest report shows it meeting that for CEC and FSW.
Where the live figures are
- Each draw as it happens: IRCNews reports every round with its date, type, invitations and cut-off.
- The official record: IRCC's rounds of invitations page lists every round of invitations.
- Provincial draws: each province publishes its own; see Provincial Nominee Programs.
How Polinsys helps
Numbers are only useful against your own file. Joy Stephen, RCIC (CICC licence R419719), gives you an honest written assessment before any fee: your score, the draw types you qualify for, how your score sits against their recent ranges, and the approach — Express Entry, a province, French, or building Canadian experience — that fits your family. Bring your questions about the latest draws to our free Friday Q&A: FREE Webinars: Resource Guides and AR Q&A.
Official sources
Rules change often. These are the government pages this page was checked against on October 2, 2026.
Related pathways
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