{"id":3835,"date":"2025-11-11T12:21:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T17:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/?p=3835"},"modified":"2025-11-11T12:21:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T17:21:33","slug":"ircc-prioritizes-in-canada-applicants-in-new-2026-2028-immigration-levels-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/?p=3835","title":{"rendered":"IRCC Prioritizes In-Canada Applicants in New 2026\u20132028 Immigration Levels Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Government of Canada<\/strong> has reaffirmed its commitment to providing permanent residence (PR) opportunities to individuals who are already living, studying, or working within the country. Despite the absence of a specific \u201cIn-Canada focus\u201d category in the newly released 2026\u20132028 Immigration Levels Plan<\/strong>, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)<\/strong> has made it clear that temporary residents will remain a top priority<\/strong> in the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister Reaffirms Priority for Temporary Residents<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During a recent media address, Immigration Minister Lena Diab<\/strong> emphasized that the department would continue to \u201cgive priority for permanent residence to temporary residents already living and settled in Canada.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This policy aims to help Canada manage population growth and housing pressures by stabilizing immigration numbers while recognizing the valuable contributions of those already integrated into the Canadian economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new plan explicitly states that IRCC will set immigration targets \u201cin tandem with both temporary and permanent resident streams\u201d<\/strong>, with a strong focus on transitioning temporary residents to permanent status<\/strong>\u2014especially those who possess the skills, education, and work experience that Canada urgently needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High Express Entry Targets Remain a Core Strategy<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although total Express Entry targets will slightly decline from 124,680 in 2025 to 109,000 in 2026<\/strong>, IRCC has ensured that this flagship system continues to be a key pathway for in-Canada applicants<\/strong>, particularly under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)<\/strong> stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2027 onward, the federal government plans to stabilize Express Entry admissions at 111,000 per year<\/strong>, maintaining strong numbers for economic immigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEC candidates, who already have Canadian work experience<\/strong>, are seen as prime contributors to the labour market and community development. Many industry observers believe that this could lead to the return of larger CEC draws in 2026<\/strong>, aligning with IRCC\u2019s policy of favouring applicants who have proven their ability to integrate successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, 64% of Canada\u2019s 2026 PR admissions<\/strong> will fall under economic immigration categories<\/strong>, reinforcing the federal strategy to attract and retain skilled workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Provincial Nominee Program Targets Surge Significantly<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most impactful changes in the new plan is the 66% increase in Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) targets<\/strong>, rising from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026<\/strong>. The target will increase again to 92,500 in both 2027 and 2028<\/strong>, giving provinces and territories greater autonomy<\/strong> to select candidates who are already contributing to local economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This move is expected to particularly benefit international graduates, skilled workers, and temporary foreign workers<\/strong> currently residing in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many provinces have already been following IRCC guidance that at least 75% of nominees be in-Canada candidates<\/strong>, minimizing new arrivals and maximizing retention of those already contributing economically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increased allocation signals a strong partnership between Ottawa and the provinces to support regional labour market needs<\/strong> and improve settlement outcomes for newcomers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One-Time Immigration Policies for 2026 and 2027<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To accelerate the transition of temporary residents into permanent residents, IRCC announced two special, one-time initiatives<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Fast-Track PR for Skilled Workers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Over 33,000 skilled workers<\/strong> already employed in Canada will receive expedited permanent residency between 2026 and 2027<\/strong>.
This initiative focuses on individuals working in high-demand and rural sectors<\/strong>, rewarding those who have maintained steady employment, community involvement, and tax contributions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. PR Pathway for Protected Persons<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

IRCC also plans to grant PR to 115,000 Protected Persons<\/strong> \u2014 individuals recognized as refugees or those requiring protection under international law.
This initiative seeks to integrate long-term residents into Canadian society<\/strong>, enabling them to build stable futures and contribute to the economy while upholding Canada\u2019s humanitarian commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two special programs are separate from regular PR admission targets<\/strong>, reflecting Canada\u2019s evolving approach to meet both economic and humanitarian goals<\/strong> through domestic transitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Canada\u2019s Balanced Approach to Immigration<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the 2026\u20132028 Levels Plan, Canada continues to refine its immigration strategy \u2014 balancing economic growth, labour market stability, and responsible population management<\/strong>.
By maintaining strong Express Entry and PNP numbers while facilitating smoother transitions for those already in the country, IRCC aims to create a more sustainable and inclusive immigration framework<\/strong> that supports both newcomers and Canadian communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a consultation<\/strong> about Immigration options, reach out to the CAD IMMIGRATION <\/strong>today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Government of Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to providing permanent residence (PR) opportunities to individuals who are already living, studying, or working within the country. Despite the absence of a specific \u201cIn-Canada focus\u201d category in the newly released 2026\u20132028 Immigration Levels Plan, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made it clear that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[79,83,49,3,78,76,77,57,70,36],"class_list":["post-3835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cicnews","tag-cad-immigration","tag-cad-immigration-news","tag-cadimmigration","tag-canadaimmigration","tag-immigration-canada","tag-immigration-new-rules","tag-immigration-new-updates","tag-immigration-trend","tag-immigration-updates-canada","tag-immigrationupdates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3835"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3837,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3835\/revisions\/3837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cadimmigration.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}