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How people become permanent residents.
In 2025, economic programs accounted for 58.0% of new permanent residents, family sponsorship 24.4%, refugees and protected persons 15.0%.
Data through July 2026Retrieved October 8, 2026Updated monthly, mid-month
Permanent residents by main category
Per year.
| Category | Economic | Family | Refugees and protected persons | Humanitarian and other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 170,010 | 65,190 | 31,450 | 4,180 |
| 2016 | 155,665 | 77,765 | 58,380 | 3,680 |
| 2017 | 158,955 | 82,220 | 40,890 | 3,555 |
| 2018 | 185,940 | 84,930 | 45,270 | 3,910 |
| 2019 | 196,265 | 91,025 | 48,310 | 4,580 |
| 2020 | 105,940 | 48,975 | 25,345 | 3,380 |
| 2021 | 252,665 | 81,130 | 60,095 | 11,310 |
| 2022 | 255,290 | 97,095 | 74,175 | 10,140 |
| 2023 | 272,150 | 109,490 | 74,725 | 14,380 |
| 2024 | 281,065 | 105,740 | 76,505 | 19,260 |
| 2025 | 227,775 | 95,930 | 58,995 | 10,035 |
Source: IRCC, Permanent Residents – Monthly IRCC Updates (open data).
Federal economic classes managed through Express Entry
Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades admissions per year. Provincial nominees admitted through Express Entry are counted under the PNP.
| Period | Canadian Experience Class | Federal Skilled Worker | Federal Skilled Trades |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 19,975 | 70,100 | 1,905 |
| 2016 | 17,770 | 65,540 | 2,380 |
| 2017 | 32,660 | 47,375 | 1,820 |
| 2018 | 27,565 | 71,210 | 845 |
| 2019 | 30,235 | 77,815 | 1,145 |
| 2020 | 24,920 | 35,745 | 535 |
| 2021 | 130,555 | 33,345 | 480 |
| 2022 | 28,625 | 81,055 | 405 |
| 2023 | 41,980 | 65,435 | 90 |
| 2024 | 48,845 | 79,455 | 25 |
| 2025 | 49,470 | 71,820 | 15 |
Source: IRCC, Permanent Residents – Monthly IRCC Updates (open data).
Every program, ranked.
| Program | Category | PRs 2025 | Share | PRs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial Nominee Program | Economic | 85,110 | 21.7% | 114,910 |
| Federal Skilled Worker | Economic | 71,820 | 18.3% | 79,455 |
| Spouses and partners | Family | 65,245 | 16.6% | 72,835 |
| Canadian Experience Class | Economic | 49,470 | 12.6% | 48,845 |
| Parents and grandparents | Family | 24,455 | 6.2% | 27,275 |
| Privately sponsored refugees | Refugees and protected persons | 22,960 | 5.8% | 29,710 |
| Government-assisted refugees | Refugees and protected persons | 15,725 | 4.0% | 19,460 |
| Protected persons in Canada | Refugees and protected persons | 12,475 | 3.2% | 18,685 |
| Humanitarian and compassionate | Humanitarian and other | 10,025 | 2.6% | 19,260 |
| Dependants of protected persons | Refugees and protected persons | 7,795 | 2.0% | 8,625 |
| Caregivers | Economic | 5,755 | 1.5% | 6,005 |
| Children | Family | 5,490 | 1.4% | 5,045 |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | Economic | 5,170 | 1.3% | 7,925 |
| Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot | Economic | 4,050 | 1.0% | 4,050 |
| TR to PR pathway (2021 one-time) | Economic | 2,825 | 0.7% | 4,595 |
| Start-up Business | Economic | 1,380 | 0.4% | 5,545 |
| Other relatives | Family | 740 | 0.2% | 585 |
| Self-Employed | Economic | 725 | 0.2% | 2,355 |
| Agri-Food Pilot | Economic | 555 | 0.1% | 1,805 |
| Investor | Economic | 485 | 0.1% | 4,865 |
| Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot | Economic | 395 | 0.1% | 380 |
| Blended sponsorship refugees | Refugees and protected persons | 40 | 0.0% | 25 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | Economic | 15 | 0.0% | 25 |
| Entrepreneur | Economic | 15 | 0.0% | 230 |
| Permit holder class | Humanitarian and other | 10 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot | Economic | 5 | 0.0% | 75 |
IRCC component labels, lightly renamed for readability. IRCC rounds every figure to the nearest 5 and suppresses values from 0 to 5; we count suppressed cells as zero, so totals here can be slightly below IRCC’s published totals. “Rounded, not for calculations.” Not an official IRCC publication.