On November 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan. Within days, two very different headline numbers were going around: "380,000 new permanent residents a year" and "up to 622,000 new permanent residents in 2027." Both can't be the official target, so we went to IRCC's own pages to check.
Short version: the official permanent resident target is 380,000 per year for 2027, 2028 and 2029. The bigger number is a total some news outlets built by adding a separate, time-limited measure on top. Below we break down the real numbers and what they mean for Express Entry, CRS scores, and your CELPIP preparation.
Quick Answer: Canada's 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan keeps permanent resident admissions at 380,000 per year. The Federal High Skilled target (the Express Entry programs) is 100,000 per year, down from 109,000 in 2026. With fewer spots for those programs, a strong CELPIP score matters more: moving from CLB 8 to CLB 9 in all four skills adds 32 core CRS points for a single applicant, and CLB 9 also unlocks the highest skill transferability points.
The Official Numbers: 2027-2029 Permanent Resident Targets
These figures come from IRCC's Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, published November 5, 2026. The targets are the same for all three years.
| Category | Target per year (2027, 2028, 2029) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Total permanent residents | 380,000 | 352,500 to 422,000 |
| Economic class (total) | 244,700 | 230,000 to 270,000 |
| Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) | 100,000 | 87,000 to 123,000 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 95,000 | 83,000 to 106,000 |
| Family class (total) | 81,000 | 76,000 to 89,000 |
| Refugees and protected persons (total) | 49,300 | 42,000 to 55,000 |
| Humanitarian, compassionate and other | 5,000 | 4,500 to 8,000 |
A few other points from the plan:
- Economic immigration is 64.4% of all permanent resident admissions in each year.
- 2028 and 2029 are notional targets. IRCC says they will be confirmed or adjusted in future plans.
- IRCC's stated long-term goal is to keep permanent resident admissions below 1% of Canada's population beyond 2027.
- Quebec sets its own economic targets, so those are not in the federal numbers above.
So Where Did "622,000" Come From?
Alongside the 380,000 target, IRCC announced a time-limited measure to help up to 200,000 people who are already in Canada move to permanent residence in 2027, in two cohorts:
- A workers cohort of up to 100,000 people, plus their families
- A humanitarian cohort of up to 100,000 people
This measure is described separately from the 380,000 target table. Some outlets added it, plus other one-time initiatives, to the 380,000 target to get totals like 622,000. IRCC itself did not publish a 622,000 figure. When you see "380,000 a year," that is the official planned target. When you see a much bigger number, check whether it adds one-time measures on top.
For most people taking CELPIP for Express Entry, the line that matters most is not the headline total. It is the Federal High Skilled target.
Express Entry: 100,000 Spots, Down From 109,000
Federal High Skilled is the category IRCC uses for the main Express Entry programs (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades). Here is how it compares with the previous plan:
| Plan | Federal High Skilled target | Provincial Nominee Program target |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-2028 plan (2026 target) | 109,000 | 91,500 |
| 2027-2029 plan (2027 target) | 100,000 | 95,000 |
That is 9,000 fewer Federal High Skilled admissions planned for 2027 than for 2026, while the Provincial Nominee Program goes up by 3,500. Many provinces also pick candidates from the Express Entry pool, so a strong profile still helps on the provincial side.
What this means in practice: fewer federal spots generally means less room for large general draws. IRCC also continues to use category-based selection (for example French-language and occupation-based draws), and on November 3, 2026 it updated the CRS, adding a new Labour Market Integration factor worth up to 150 points for a single applicant (140 with a spouse), according to the official CRS criteria page. We can't predict exact cutoffs, but the direction is clear: competition at the top of the pool is not getting easier, and the points you can control matter more.
Why Your CELPIP Score Matters More Now
Language is one of the few CRS factors you can still improve in a few weeks or months. Your age, education and work history mostly are what they are. Your CELPIP score is not.
CELPIP levels 4 to 10 map directly to the same CLB level (CELPIP 9 = CLB 9). You can check any score with our CLB converter or the full CELPIP score chart.
CLB 7: The Floor
For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, IRCC's eligibility page lists anything below CLB 7 in your first official language as "not eligible to apply." That makes CLB 7 in all four skills the practical minimum for many applicants. But CLB 7 only gets you in the pool. It rarely gets you an invitation on its own.
CLB 9: Where the Points Jump
Here are the official first official language points per skill, from IRCC's CRS criteria page:
| CLB level (per skill) | Points without a spouse | Points with a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | 17 | 16 |
| CLB 8 | 23 | 22 |
| CLB 9 | 31 | 29 |
| CLB 10 or more | 34 | 32 |
For a single applicant, CLB 8 in all four skills is worth 92 points. CLB 9 in all four is worth 124. That is a 32-point jump from one CLB level.
CLB 9 matters for a second reason: skill transferability. IRCC gives extra points when strong language is combined with a post-secondary degree or foreign work experience, and the top tier needs CLB 9 or higher in all four skills. For example, the education and language combination is worth up to 25 points at CLB 7 and up to 50 points at CLB 9 or higher. The foreign work experience combination works the same way. Skill transferability is capped at 100 points in total.
So for many profiles, CLB 9 is not one improvement. It is several at once.
CLB 10: The Last Few Points
CLB 10 adds 3 more points per skill over CLB 9 for a single applicant (34 vs 31), or 12 points across all four skills. It is worth chasing if you are close, especially in Listening and Reading, where many test takers reach CLB 10 before Writing and Speaking.
Want to see the effect on your own profile? Plug different CLB levels into our CRS calculator, then compare against the score patterns in our CELPIP Score Report 2026, which shows where test takers usually gain and lose points.
French Is Getting a Bigger Share
The plan raises the target for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec:
| Year | Share of admissions outside Quebec | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 9.5% | 31,825 |
| 2028 | 10.5% | 35,175 |
| 2029 | 12% | 40,200 |
If you speak French, a French test alongside your CELPIP results can count as a second official language in the CRS and may make you eligible for French-language draws. For most English-first candidates, though, the biggest gain still comes from pushing CELPIP to CLB 9.
Temporary Residents: 370,000 New Arrivals Per Year
The plan also sets new temporary resident arrivals at 370,000 per year (range 355,000 to 385,000): 220,000 workers and 150,000 students. If you are in Canada on a work or study permit and planning to apply for PR, your language score is one of the main ways to stand out from others in a similar position.
What We'd Do If We Were Preparing Now
- Find your real starting point. Take a full, timed practice test and see your CLB level in each skill. Our free mock exam is a good place to start.
- Find your weakest skill. CRS points are counted per skill, so one CLB 7 can drag down an otherwise strong profile and block the CLB 9 skill transferability bonus.
- Target CLB 9 in all four skills, not just your average. The bonus needs every skill at CLB 9 or higher.
- Check your score validity. Language results for Express Entry must be less than two years old, so plan your test date around your profile and possible invitation.
- Book your test once you're consistently hitting your target in practice, not before. Retakes cost time and money.
For a deeper look at how CELPIP fits into Express Entry, see our CELPIP for Express Entry guide and the CLB score guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many new permanent residents will Canada admit in 2027?
IRCC's official target is 380,000 permanent residents in 2027, with a range of 352,500 to 422,000. The same 380,000 target is set for 2028 and 2029.
Is it true that Canada will admit 622,000 permanent residents in 2027?
No official IRCC figure says 622,000. That number appeared in news coverage that added a separate, time-limited measure (up to 200,000 people already in Canada) and other one-time initiatives to the 380,000 target. The official planned target is 380,000.
How many Express Entry spots are in the 2027-2029 plan?
The Federal High Skilled category, which covers the main Express Entry programs, has a target of 100,000 per year (range 87,000 to 123,000). That is down from 109,000 in the 2026 target.
What CELPIP score do I need for Express Entry?
For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you need at least CLB 7 (CELPIP 7) in all four skills to be eligible. To be competitive, many candidates aim for CLB 9 (CELPIP 9) or higher in every skill, because that is where CRS language points and skill transferability points increase the most.
How many CRS points is CLB 9 worth compared to CLB 8?
For a single applicant, each skill at CLB 9 is worth 31 points vs 23 at CLB 8. Across all four skills, that is 124 vs 92, a 32-point difference. CLB 9 in all four skills also qualifies you for the highest skill transferability points.
Key Takeaways
- The official 2027-2029 permanent resident target is 380,000 per year. Bigger numbers you see in the news add one-time measures on top.
- The Federal High Skilled (Express Entry) target drops to 100,000 in 2027, from 109,000 in 2026.
- CLB 7 gets you into the Federal Skilled Worker Program. CLB 9 in all four skills is where CRS points jump.
- French-speaking admission targets outside Quebec rise from 9.5% in 2027 to 12% in 2029.
- Your CELPIP score is one of the few CRS factors you can still improve, so now is a good time to work on it.
This article is general information about IRCC's published targets and is not immigration or legal advice. Rules and draw patterns can change. For decisions about your own application, check the official IRCC website or speak with a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer. Figures are current as of November 14, 2026.
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