Over the past few years, both Quebec and Canada have been struggling to sustainably contain the rapid influx of immigrants, both as seekers of permanent and temporary residence. While Canada supports the reception of immigrants to fulfill economic growth, the pace at which newcomers are arriving has been taking a toll on the country’s capacity to maintain high quality education, healthcare, and housing.
In response, the Canadian government has devised new immigration policies as part of their 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to recalibrate the immigration system to lessen the pressure on these sectors. Their overarching objective is to reduce immigrant intake and limit admission to favour those who meet certain criteria. These include higher job qualifications, proficiency in French, and skills in provincially-determined sectors of the economy.
The new policy restricts the number of permanent resident admissions to 380,000 in 2026. Of the permanent resident candidates, the government seeks to prioritize those who fall under “economic immigrants”: newcomers with high economic potential based on their work qualification and competence for particular jobs. This encompasses the Minister of Immigration Lena Metlege Diab’s push for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), in which provinces select immigrants with backgrounds in areas of labour based on particular economic needs. The remaining permanent residencies will be allocated to family reunification and humanitarian aid for refugees and protected persons.
From 2018 to 2024, the number of temporary residents in Canada more than doubled, increasing from 3.3 to 7.5 per cent of the population. With the new Immigration Levels Plan, the department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wishes to lower this number to below five per cent by 2027. The overall number of study permits issued was capped in January 2024, eliciting a downward trend of admitted international students. While nearly 675,000 temporary residents entered Canada in 2025, the target for 2026 is 385,000. From these, 230,000 will be workers and 155,000 students, this is 47 per cent lower than last year’s target “economic immigrants.”
Although the policies in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan do not directly affect current international students at McGill or any Canadian university, they may be an impasse for international students who plan on staying in Canada after graduating. In addition to the Immigration Levels Plan restricting the volume of work and study permits, applicants in Quebec are required to demonstrate higher proof of funds, confirming access to annual funds of $24,617 when applying. Before January 1, 2026, this provincial requirement was $15,509.
Moreover, the significant reduction of temporary permanent residency programs has limited the options of any McGill international student who wishes to remain in Quebec. For example, the Programme d’experience québecoise (PEQ), which was shut down in November 2025, used to allow international students with a CLB level 7 French (intermediate) graduating from Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to fast-track their permanent residency application. Now, this can only be made possible through the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ). Unlike the PEQ, which offered a predictable pathway to permanent immigration, the PSTQ uses a point system based on specifications like work experience in Quebec, in-demand occupations, French expertise, and educational qualifications, among other requirements, with still no guarantee of admission or acceptance.
2026 marks the start of a less accessible, more economically-driven, and highly restrictive admission process for permanent and temporary immigration to Canada. If this affects your plans for remaining in Quebec or Canada after the duration of your studies, it is recommended that you search for alternatives or check your eligibility for the remaining immigration programs. Do not hesitate to reach out to the International Student Services if you need any further assistance.
The ISS can be reached at https://www.mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/.”