Canada has announced its Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-26.
The 2024-26 Immigration Levels Plan will aim to welcome 485,000 new immigrants to Canada in 2024 and 500,000 each year in 2025 and 2026, following the trajectory of the 2023-25 Immigration Levels Plan.
Under the new plan, admitting 485,000 new immigrants will see Canada’s immigration levels reach the highest level in its history, same as the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-25.
According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-26, Canada will welcome more than 280,000 new immigrants under the economic class, which is around 58 per cent of the annual target.
New arrivals under the economic class will increase to more than 300,000 immigrants by 2026, which will comprise 60 per cent of the annual target.
Under the family class, Canada will aim to admit 114,000 new immigrants in 2024, which will rise to 118,000 new permanent residents by 2026 – around 24 per cent of all admissions.
Canada will also welcome around 90,000 immigrants under the humanitarian class in 2024 – about 19 per cent of all admissions that year. By 2026, Canada’s humanitarian admissions will stand at around 81,000 immigrants.
Immigrants under the humanitarian class include refugees, protected persons, and those who are admitted for compassionate and other reasons.
Express Entry and PNPs
Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) targets are set to rise according to the new Immigration Levels Plan.
Canada will target more than 110,000 new Express Entry admissions in 2024, which will rise to 117,500 new permanent residents in each of 2025 and 2026.
PNPs will also aim to welcome similar numbers of applicants – 110,000 new immigrants in 2024, which will rise to 120,000 in each of 2025 and 2026.
In 2022, Canada welcomed 437,000 new permanent residents, breaking the record for the number of new immigrants admitted in a single year.
The target for new permanent resident admissions in 2023 is even higher, at 465,000.