Canada's 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, released on November 5, 2026, sets a 380,000 permanent resident (PR) target, with 66,000 places for sponsored spouses, partners and children. The Parents and Grandparents Program is still paused. Proof-of-citizenship applications have no annual target, so a claim to Canadian citizenship by descent sits outside the plan. A relative who can't inherit that claim, though, comes in through a capped sponsorship stream, and that makes the order of a family's move worth planning.
The short version
- The 2027–2029 Levels Plan, released November 5, 2026, sets a permanent resident target of 380,000.
- Sponsored spouses, partners and children have a 66,000 allocation.
- Canada sets no annual target for proof-of-citizenship applications, so a descent claim isn't counted against the plan.
- The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) remains paused, so it offers no route for parents or grandparents for now.
What the November 5 plan caps, and what it leaves alone
The Levels Plan is the federal government's yearly statement of how many people Canada intends to admit as permanent residents, by category. A target or allocation is the number of admissions planned for a category, and it limits how many people that stream can land.
Citizenship is a different status. A Canadian by descent is someone born outside Canada who may already be a citizen through a Canadian parent. That person isn't immigrating: they apply for proof of citizenship, the certificate confirming a status they may already hold, and no annual target applies.
| Route | What the 2027–2029 plan sets |
|---|---|
| Proof of citizenship (including descent claims) | No annual target |
| Total permanent resident admissions | 380,000 |
| Spouse, partner and child sponsorship | 66,000 |
| Parents and Grandparents Program | Still paused |
If both figures cover the same plan year, spouses, partners and children make up about 17% of planned PR admissions (66,000 ÷ 380,000 ≈ 17.4%). The plan sets 380,000 permanent residents for each of 2027, 2028 and 2029, so treat the share as approximate.
Who the split affects in a descent family
The plan creates two tracks in one household. The person with the descent claim goes through the uncapped citizenship process. Relatives who can't inherit the claim need a separate route, usually a sponsorship stream with a set number of places.
People most likely to feel it:
- Someone with a possible descent claim and a foreign spouse or common-law partner. The partner can't inherit citizenship through the claim, so their PR would draw on the 66,000 allocation.
- Families with a child who can't inherit the claim. That child also falls under the capped family allocation.
- Canadians hoping to bring parents or grandparents. With the PGP paused, that route isn't available now, and a descent claim doesn't change that.
Less directly affected:
- The person whose own descent claim is the route. Their proof-of-citizenship application has no annual target, so the size of the Levels Plan doesn't limit it.
The plan doesn't address Express Entry, provincial nominee or temporary permit cases in a way that bears on descent families, so those are left aside here.
What to consider doing now
- Map the household. List every family member who would move and note whether each might be covered by the descent claim or would need a separate route.
- Separate the two tracks. Treat the proof-of-citizenship application and any spouse or child sponsorship as two files on two timelines: one uncapped, the other drawing on the 66,000 allocation.
- Plan the order before filing anything. Decide whether the family moves together or in stages. That depends on how the descent claim and any sponsorship interact for your family, and published guidance on that point is thin.
- Don't build plans around the PGP reopening. If a parent or grandparent is part of the move, set the timeline without counting on that program.
- Keep the family records together. The descent claim rests on a Canadian parent and a sponsorship on the family relationship, so having both sets of records in one place makes each track easier to assess.
- Learn how the capped side works. You can see how spousal and family sponsorship works at Sherway, including what a sponsorship file involves.
Common questions
Is there a cap on proof-of-citizenship applications in Canada?
No annual target is set for them, so a citizenship-by-descent claim isn't counted against the 2027–2029 Levels Plan. Each claim still has to be confirmed on its own facts.
How many spousal sponsorship spots are in the 2027–2029 Levels Plan?
The plan sets an allocation of 66,000 for sponsored spouses, partners and children. It doesn't specify which plan year that figure applies to, or whether it stays the same in each of the three years.
What is Canada's total PR target in the new Levels Plan?
380,000 permanent residents, under the plan released on November 5, 2026. As with the family figure, the year it applies to isn't specified.
Is the Parents and Grandparents Program open for 2027?
The PGP remains paused under the new plan, and no reopening date has been announced.
Does my spouse become a citizen through my descent claim?
A family member who can't inherit the claim comes through a capped sponsorship stream instead. For a foreign spouse or partner, that means the spouse, partner and child allocation. Whether a particular child can inherit a claim depends on rules that need case-by-case review.
Every family's line of descent and household is different. An RCIC can assess your specific case, and you can talk the sequencing through with one of our consultants.