HERE ARE FIVE ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS REGARDING CANADA’S IMMIGRATION PLAN FOR 2025-2027
On October 24, Canada announced its Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, which, for the first time, includes specific targets for temporary residents like international students.
Each year, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan sets goals for how many permanent residents will be welcomed. This plan helps Canada grow its economy, bring families together, and support humanitarian needs.
The Immigration Levels Plan also set preliminary targets for 2026 and 2027, with final numbers for the coming year confirmed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) each November 1.
Here are some important highlights from the latest announcement for international students:
Canada plans to welcome more new international students than work permit holders
The latest Plan sets a steady annual target of 305,900 new international student arrivals for 2025, 2026, and 2027.
These numbers only count new arrivals and exclude study permit renewals for students already in Canada.
In contrast, the number of temporary resident workers—covering arrivals under the International Mobility Program and Temporary Foreign Worker Program—will decrease over the next three years, from 367,750 in 2025 to 210,700 in 2026, and then to 237,700 in 2027.
As a result, in 2026 and 2027, international students will make up a larger share of temporary residents arriving in Canada.
Canada plans to welcome more new PRs from within Canada
The 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan focuses on helping students and workers already in Canada become permanent residents.
In 2025, over 40% of permanent resident spots are expected to go to people already living in Canada. The plan splits the Federal High Skilled category into two parts: Federal Economic Priorities and In-Canada Focus, with In-Canada Focus receiving more spots.
This means IRCC may create more ways for temporary residents to stay permanently, such as through more Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws or new policies favour those already in the country.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) to be scaled back
The Plan also introduced significant cuts to the targets for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) admissions in the coming years.
In 2025, the government’s target for PNP admissions is just 55,000—a major reduction from the 2024 target of 110,000 and the previous 2025 target of 120,000.
This change means that students aiming to use provincial nominations as a pathway to permanent residency may face increased competition in PNP streams.
Greater focus on French language skills
The Levels Plan focuses on increasing French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec.
In 2025, 8.5% of permanent resident admissions will be French-speaking (outside Quebec), rising to 9.5% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. This is higher than the previous plan, which set targets of 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026.
Students who don’t speak French may want to learn the language to improve their chances of applying for permanent residency.
Greater importance for in-demand occupations
In 2023, Canada introduced category-based selection draws to issue ITAs to skilled workers in high-demand sectors like healthcare, STEM, trades, and transport to help address labour shortages.
These categories will change over time based on labour market needs. In 2025, priority categories will include healthcare and trade occupations, but no plans have been made to remove other categories like STEM, transport, and agriculture.
To qualify for a category-based draw, candidates must have at least six months of full-time work experience in an in-demand field within the last three years.
Students planning to graduate with Post Graduate Work Permits (PGWPs) and seek Canadian PR may want to focus on jobs that match these priority categories.
