12 ways to immigrate to Canada in 2026

Canada's 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 380,000 new permanent residents in 2026. About 63 per cent of those places are for economic immigrants. The rest are for family members, refugees and people admitted on humanitarian grounds.

Each route has its own target, which is a good guide to where the opportunities are.

Economic routes

• 1. Express Entry. The main route for skilled workers, covering the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Many invitations now go to people with Canadian experience, French speakers and targeted occupations such as healthcare.
• 2. Provincial Nominee Program. Provinces and territories nominate people whose skills they need. A nomination through Express Entry adds 600 points.
• 3. Quebec immigration. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants. The Quebec Experience Program closed in November 2025, and the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) is now its main skilled worker route. French matters a great deal.
• 4. Economic pilots. Smaller programs for caregivers, rural and francophone communities, agri-food workers and others. Most need a qualifying job offer.
• 5. Atlantic Immigration Program. For workers hired by designated employers in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Business routes

• 6. Federal business immigration. Only 500 places in 2026. The Start-Up Visa is paused to new applications, and a new entrepreneur pilot is expected to favour people already in Canada.
• 7. Provincial entrepreneur streams. Several provinces run their own programs, which usually require a significant net worth, an investment and active management of a business.

Family routes

• 8. Spouses, partners and children. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their partner and dependent children. Some sponsored partners can work while the application is processed.
• 9. Parents and grandparents. Sponsors are selected from a pool of people who expressed interest. The Super Visa is an alternative for long visits.

Humanitarian routes

• 10. Refugees and protected persons. Includes government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, and people granted protection in Canada.
• 11. Humanitarian and compassionate grounds. For exceptional cases, decided individually.
• 12. Francophone immigration outside Quebec. Not a single program but a growing priority across programs. The target is 9 per cent of admissions outside Quebec in 2026, rising to 10.5 per cent by 2028.

Choosing between them

Most people qualify for more than one route, and the best one is rarely the most obvious. Your occupation, language scores, age, Canadian experience and family ties all change the answer. We start every case by mapping each route you qualify for, then choosing the fastest one with the lowest risk.