By Elaine Liang, February 2 2026—
From 2026 to 2028, Canada will be tightening immigration rules and accepting fewer new residents, temporary workers and international students.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal government is aiming to gradually reduce overall immigration targets over the three-year period. The IRCC has committed to reducing Canada’s temporary population to less than five per cent of the total population and stabilizing permanent residence admissions to less than one per cent.
The new 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets permanent residence admission targets at 380,000 per year for three years, which is a slight drop from 395,000 in 2025.
From 2018 to 2024, temporary residents making up Canada’s population more than doubled from 3.3 per cent to 7.5 per cent. In the 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, the Canadian government recognised the pressure that the rapid growth rate put on the country’s housing supply, healthcare system and education system, making it no longer sustainable.
“Overall, Canada’s immigration policy is moving toward a smaller but more selective system, focused on qualified applicants, genuine labour shortages and the long-term sustainability of communities nationwide,” said immigration consultant Mandeep Lidher in an interview with CTV News.
The Levels Plan caps temporary resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. These numbers include new temporary workers and international students. New student arrivals will be limited to 155,000 in 2026, which is around 50 per cent fewer than last year’s target of 305,900. This cap will decrease to 150,000 in 2027 and 2028.
Master’s and doctoral students at degree-granting public designated learning institutions no longer need a provincial or territorial attestation letter. A faster 14-day study permit application has also been introduced for doctoral students and their families.
The cap exemptions for master’s and doctoral students align with the government’s aim of prioritizing economic immigration and attracting international researchers. International students at the undergraduate level remain subject to tight caps and regulations.
With the new 2026 caps to international students, universities are continuing to face budget shortfalls and uncertainty in planning for the upcoming academic year.
In the fall of 2025, the University of Calgary saw a 16.3 per cent decrease in international student enrolment compared to the year before. In a statement to CBC News, the university said this amounted to a $34.7 million loss in 2025.
On Jan. 30, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Lena Diab, addressed the financial strain some post-secondary institutions are facing following federal caps on international student admissions. Speaking to CTV News, Diab said universities struggling with their budgets should seek assistance from provincial governments, noting that responsibility for financial support falls under the provincial jurisdiction.
“We are on a path to stability and predictability…with respect to financial [support] and so on, I would direct them to contact the provinces,” Diab told CTV News.
For more information on the new immigration policies, visit the Government of Canada’s website.