Canada announces new immigration levels plan as Prime Minister Mark Carney sends 'welcome note' to H-1B visa holders; says: The expertise of ...

The Canadian government has announced new immigration level plans as the country aims to attract top researchers and H-1B visa holders, reports Bloomberg. Prime Minister Mark Carney presented its first budget where he unveiled a plan to attract international talent, earmarking $1.2 billion to recruit more than 1,000 skilled researchers.

As part of the new immigration plan, the Canadian government has set a target of bringing in 380,000 permanent residents per year from 2026 through 2028. “The expertise of these researchers will help advance our global competitiveness and contribute to the economy of the future,” the budget statement reads. Canada’s new program is expected to draw skilled professionals from the US and other countries. The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump raised H-1B visa fees to $100,000 from September 21, 2025.

Canada to introduce accelerated pathway for H-1B visa holders

The Canadian government is also planning an “accelerated pathway” for H-1B visa holders in the coming months. Additionally, it aims to reduce the share of non-permanent residents to less than 5% of the population by the end of 2027. The figure was 7.3% on July 1 this year.Further, the government plans to lower the number of temporary residents to 3,85,000 in 2026 and 3,70,000 in the following two years — a drop of more than 40% from current levels.

The sharpest cut will come from study permits, which are set to fall to 1,55,000 in 2026 and 1,50,000 in both 2027 and 2028. The Bloomberg report says that these figures are significantly lower than the previous targets under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, which projected around 305,900 study permits each year between 2025 and 2027.The report quotes Universities Canada, which in a statement said that it “recognizes the government’s efforts to build a sustainable immigration system that welcomes those seeking to study at Canada’s world-class universities, but the plan must match this government’s talent and economic agenda.”