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TLDR
IRCC opened a public consultation on May 12 for the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, with responses accepted until June 14, 2026.
The survey uses open-ended questions about how recent immigration reductions have affected communities, replacing the multiple-choice format of prior years.
Unlike previous consultations, this year's questionnaire does not ask respondents to react to specific numerical targets.
The final 2027–2029 plan is expected this fall and will build on the current plan's targets of 380,000 permanent residents per year and a temporary resident population below 5% of Canada's total by end of 2027.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) opened a public consultation on May 12 to gather input for the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government's three-year framework for how many permanent and temporary residents Canada will admit.
The consultation, first reported by Moving2Canada, runs until June 14 and arrives as the government implements reductions to both permanent and temporary resident admissions. The resulting plan is expected this fall.
What IRCC is asking
IRCC, via five open-ended prompts, is asking respondents how recent reductions to temporary and permanent resident targets have affected their community or sector, what changes they would recommend to future levels, what regional or demographic trends should factor into target-setting, what long-term priorities should guide the immigration system, and what barriers make immigration and settlement harder.
The survey also collects demographic details: whether a respondent lives inside or outside Canada, their immigration status, province, industry, and whether they are responding on behalf of an organization.
Anyone can participate. You don't need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. IRCC identifies temporary residents, prospective applicants, employers, settlement agencies, and community groups as part of the intended audience.
This is a different kind of questionnaire
The format differs from previous years. Past consultations leaned on multiple-choice questions that asked respondents directly whether proposed targets were "too high," "about right," or "too low." This year, IRCC has not used that approach. The survey does not ask for views on any specific immigration numbers for 2027 or beyond.
The change affects the kind of feedback IRCC collects. As instead of an ordered poll on targets, the department is gathering narrative responses about impacts, priorities, and barriers.
What’s driving the new approach by the IRCC?
The current 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, released in November 2025, set permanent resident admissions at 380,000 per year from 2026 through 2028. For temporary residents, the plan targets 385,000 arrivals in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.
The government committed to reducing Canada's temporary resident population to less than 5% of the total population by the end of 2027. That figure refers to the overall temporary resident population share, not annual admissions alone.
IRCC's 2026–27 Departmental Plan confirms those targets and says the economic category would reach 64% of permanent resident admissions in 2027 and 2028. The plan also includes one-time initiatives to transition roughly 115,000 protected persons in Canada to permanent residence over two years and to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence.
The 2027–2029 plan will either build on or adjust these commitments based on what IRCC hears through this process and other inputs, including economic data, provincial consultations, and public opinion research.
How to participate
Temporary residents, international students, prospective applicants, and employers can use the consultation to tell IRCC how recent immigration cuts are affecting their life or work. The survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
The open-ended format allows for specific, concrete responses. Describe real effects on your work, studies, hiring, or community rather than stating general preferences about levels.
The consultation informs but does not determine the plan. IRCC uses it alongside economic data, provincial input, and broader government priorities.
Applicants will have more information when the 2027–2029 plan is tabled this fall. Until then, the targets in the current 2026–2028 plan remain in effect.
