Ottawa’s updated immigration plan is out, and it matters a lot for a city where so many of us are newcomers, or are the kids and friends of newcomers.
The numbers
- Temporary residents: 370,000 new arrivals a year through 2029, down from 385,000 in 2026. That’s 150,000 international students and 220,000 workers.
- Permanent residents: 380,000 a year, unchanged from 2026.
- Breakdown: about 244,700 economic, 81,000 family, 49,300 refugees and protected persons, and 5,000 humanitarian and other.
- New pathway: up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada can move toward permanent residence by the end of 2027, including 100,000 workers.
What this means on the ground
For people already living and working here on temporary status, the new pathway is the headline. Many have spent years in Vancouver kitchens, clinics, classrooms and construction sites without knowing whether they’d be allowed to stay. A defined route to permanent residence is a big deal for them and for the employers and families who depend on them.
At the same time, the plan reflects a sharp pullback from recent peaks. Reported figures show new international student arrivals down 71% and new worker arrivals down 57% between January and August 2026 compared with the same period in 2024. Colleges, universities and the businesses around them in Metro Vancouver feel that shift first.
The same budget also extends the foreign buyer ban on existing homes to January 1, 2029, while exempting new residential properties.
How does this change things for you, your family or your workplace? We’d like to hear it.
Shop Local: Wear Your City
Shades of YVR Science World Graphic Hoodie
Warm, weighty streetwear with a Vancouver landmark front and centre. Layer it up for those grey-sky walks.
Shades of YVR Vancouver Downtown Graphic Hoodie
Downtown energy, made for everyday wear. A unisex hoodie that looks good thrown on or styled up.
