Key numbers on Canadian immigration
Understanding permanent residence numbers in Canada
Data as of May 31, 2026
Through the Immigration Levels Plan, we’re making our immigration system more responsive to the needs of the country.
We have committed to returning immigration to sustainable levels, stabilizing the number of new permanent residents each year to less than 1% of our total population beyond 2027 with a focus on giving permanent residence to people already living in, working in, and contributing to our country.
The data below provides a snapshot of how many people have received permanent resident status in Canada this year.
The data is approximate and subject to change.
About the data
Please note that in the tables on this page, all values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. In the graphs, all values between 0 and 5 will be visualized as zero. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics.All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason, and in some cases may also be rounded to the nearest 100. As a result of rounding, the data may not sum to the totals indicated.
Permanent residence in 2026 under the Immigration Levels Plan
Each year, we aim to meet the number of new permanent residents (PR) set out in the Immigration Levels Plan. The plan outlines the total number of available permanent resident spaces, and how they are divided across immigration categories. This gives us flexibility to adjust to evolving priorities and pressures and stay responsive.
In recent years, about half of new permanent residents were already living in Canada as non-permanent residents, and contributing to our economy. This helps to limit additional pressures on infrastructure and social services.
380,000
New permanent residents targeted for 2026128,900
New PRs from January to May 2026Increasing French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec
In 2026, we’re aiming for 9% (30,150) of our new permanent residents outside Quebec to be francophone or bilingual. This goal is part of the levels plan, and it aligns with the Policy on Francophone Immigration—ensuring it’s both ambitious and achievable.
new French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec between January and May 2026
Breakdown of new permanent residents by category
Economic
People in this category are selected through work-based and regional economic immigration programs.
Family
The family class category supports the reunification of families in Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are able to sponsor certain family members to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents.
Refugees and protected persons
Refugees identified for resettlement abroad are referred by the United Nations Refugee Agency, private sponsors and other referral partners. Resettled refugees arrive in Canada as permanent residents. Protected persons in Canada are people who have been granted protection by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada or through IRCC’s pre-removal risk assessment process. Protected persons can then apply to become permanent residents.
Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other
This category includes those who have applied for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, those affected by international conflicts, crises, natural disasters and some exceptional circumstances, as well as those who would not be eligible under other programs.
One-time initiatives for 2026 and 2027
As part of our commitment to recalibrate the immigration system and reduce our temporary population to less than 5% of Canada’s total population, we’ve introduced two one-time initiatives that will run in 2026 and 2027. These permanent residents are in addition to, not part of, the targets set in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
Accelerating permanent residence for select skilled workers
The one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative is accelerating permanent residence for 33,000 workers who are already contributing to Canadian communities in in-demand sectors, with a particular focus on those living in smaller communities.
In 2026, we plan to admit at least 20,000 workers as permanent residents through this initiative. The remaining will be admitted in 2027.
Who we’re admitting
We’re focusing on workers who
- have been living in smaller communities in Canada for at least 2 years; and
- have applied for permanent residence through the following programs:
Offering stability to people with protected status
This one-time, two-year initiative will process permanent residence applications from up to 115,000 eligible protected persons and their in-Canada dependants. Protected persons have recognized protected status in Canada and can’t return safely to their country of origin.
In 2026, we intend to grant permanent residence to 46,000 protected persons and their in-Canada dependants through this initiative.
Who we’re admitting
We’re focusing on people who
- have received protected person status after a decision by either the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on an asylum claim, or IRCC through a pre-removal risk assessment, and have submitted an application for permanent residence, or
- are dependants (a spouse, common-law partner or child) already living in Canada and listed as accompanying dependants on a protected person’s application for permanent residence.
Note: Permanent resident applicants who will live in Quebec are not eligible for processing in this initiative.
Total number of new permanent residents in Canada
The number of people becoming permanent residents each year is stabilizing under our Immigration Levels Plan to align immigration with available services and infrastructure.
In addition, processing additional permanent residence applications under our two one-time initiatives will recalibrate the immigration system and provide stability to people who are already in Canada contributing to our economy. Combining the numbers from the levels plan and these initiatives gives a full view of how many people become permanent residents each year.
The chart below shows the total number of new permanent residents and how that number has changed over time.
| Month | Total PR admissions under levels | Total One-Time Initiative Admissions |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-2023 | 50,945 | 0 |
| Feb-2023 | 49,670 | 0 |
| Mar-2023 | 44,885 | 0 |
| Apr-2023 | 29,565 | 0 |
| May-2023 | 46,005 | 0 |
| Jun-2023 | 42,355 | 0 |
| Jul-2023 | 40,705 | 0 |
| Aug-2023 | 35,095 | 0 |
| Sep-2023 | 32,190 | 0 |
| Oct-2023 | 33,630 | 0 |
| Nov-2023 | 29,515 | 0 |
| Dec-2023 | 37,265 | 0 |
| Jan-2024 | 47,785 | 0 |
| Feb-2024 | 39,115 | 0 |
| Mar-2024 | 34,875 | 0 |
| Apr-2024 | 42,615 | 0 |
| May-2024 | 46,855 | 0 |
| Jun-2024 | 44,700 | 0 |
| Jul-2024 | 47,870 | 0 |
| Aug-2024 | 39,255 | 0 |
| Sep-2024 | 37,145 | 0 |
| Oct-2024 | 34,480 | 0 |
| Nov-2024 | 36,940 | 0 |
| Dec-2024 | 32,020 | 0 |
| Jan-2025 | 34,055 | 0 |
| Feb-2025 | 35,275 | 0 |
| Mar-2025 | 34,990 | 0 |
| Apr-2025 | 28,055 | 0 |
| May-2025 | 36,430 | 0 |
| Jun-2025 | 39,045 | 0 |
| Jul-2025 | 38,735 | 0 |
| Aug-2025 | 30,480 | 0 |
| Sep-2025 | 33,665 | 0 |
| Oct-2025 | 32,925 | 0 |
| Nov-2025 | 24,065 | 0 |
| Dec-2025 | 26,065 | 0 |
| Jan-2026 | 21,710 | 2,510 |
| Feb-2026 | 26,105 | 3,180 |
| Mar-2026 | 25,745 | 3,885 |
| Apr-2026 | 26,980 | 2,890 |
| May-2026 | 28,325 | 5,930 |
Additional resources
Statistics on permanent residents
Detailed data on the Open Government Portal
Additional resources
Students and temporary workers
Information on the total population of students and workers in Canada
Additional resources
Asylum claimants
Monthly data on asylum claimants at a border crossing, in Canada and RCMP apprehensions between ports of entry
Immigration Levels Plan
Tabled each year, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next 3 years