Canada’s permanent resident admissions are running slower than planned in 2026, but the slowdown is not happening equally across all immigration programs.
By the end of June, Canada had welcomed 155,800 new permanent residents, reaching only about 41% of its main annual target of 380,000. To hit that target, another 224,200 people would need to receive permanent residence between July and December.
The biggest shortfall is in economic immigration, which includes Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), and several federal economic programs. Canada admitted 89,200 economic immigrants in the first half of the year, well below the pace needed to reach its 239,800 target.
Family sponsorship tells a different story. With 45,100 admissions by mid-year, this category is actually slightly ahead of schedule toward its annual target of 84,000.
Refugee and protected-person admissions are also behind pace, while humanitarian admissions are slightly ahead.
There is another layer to the numbers. Canada has separate one-time initiatives for certain protected persons and workers already in the country, adding 66,000 planned admissions for 2026. Including these programs brings the year’s combined target to 446,000.
By June 30, Canada had admitted 182,100 permanent residents across all of these streams, or about 40.8% of that combined target.
At the same time, one priority remains especially visible: French-speaking immigration. In the first six months of 2026, 12,400 French-speaking or bilingual newcomers became permanent residents outside Quebec. French-speaking candidates have also received 39.6% of all Express Entry invitations issued so far this year.
The numbers suggest that Canada may need a considerably stronger second half of 2026 to meet its overall immigration plans, particularly in economic immigration.
