CICC Licence R709592 · MAK Canadian Immigration Services
Last RCIC review: August 2026 · Official sources checked: August 14, 2026
PNP 2026: 91,500 Admissions vs 43,999 Allocation Spaces
The 91,500 figure is the 2026 PNP admissions target, not the number of provincial nomination allocation spaces. IRCC’s 2026 departmental material identifies 43,999 provincial and territorial allocation spaces and separately describes 10,000 supplemental federal priority spaces. These figures measure different parts of the immigration-planning system and should not be used interchangeably or treated as an individual’s odds of receiving a nomination.
91,500 is the 2026 admissions target for the Provincial Nominee Program under the Immigration Levels Plan. It is not the number of nominations available. IRCC’s July 27, 2026 departmental material states that provinces and territories received 43,999 PNP allocation spaces for 2026. The same source separately states that the federal government reserved 10,000 supplemental PNP spaces that provinces and territories can use for two federal priorities.
Those are different planning figures published by IRCC for different purposes. The 91,500 figure is an admissions target, while 43,999 is the number of PNP allocation spaces provinces and territories received for 2026. They should not be substituted for one another.
Two different numbers, two different documents
The admissions target: 91,500
The supplementary information for the 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets the Provincial Nominee Program admissions target for 2026 at 91,500, within a planning range of 82,000 to 105,000. For 2027 and 2028 the target is 92,500 with a range of 82,000 to 106,000, and IRCC states that notional targets and ranges for 2027 and 2028 “will be confirmed or adjusted by November 1 of each year”. The same table shows overall permanent resident admissions planned at 380,000 a year, within a range of 350,000 to 420,000, and a federal economic total of 239,800 for 2026.
An admissions target measures people planned for permanent-resident admission under the program, while an allocation space is used for a provincial or territorial nomination. IRCC notes that nominees typically arrive with spouses and dependants and estimates approximately 1.8 admissions per PNP allocation. The admissions target therefore should not be read as the number of nomination spaces available in the same year.
The allocation: 43,999
IRCC’s departmental transition material dated July 27, 2026 states that “provinces and territories received 43,999 allocation spaces to nominate candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program”. That figure describes the number of PNP allocation spaces provinces and territories received for 2026. It is a program-capacity figure, not an individual’s probability of receiving a nomination.
Both figures are federal and both appear on Canada.ca. They are not in conflict: 91,500 describes planned PNP admissions for 2026, while 43,999 describes PNP allocation spaces received by provinces and territories for 2026.
| 2026 figure | What it counts | Number | Source document |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNP admissions target | People admitted as permanent residents in the year, including accompanying family | 91,500, range 82,000 to 105,000 | Supplementary information, 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan |
| PNP allocation spaces | Nomination certificates provinces and territories may issue | 43,999 | IRCC transition material, July 27, 2026 |
| Supplemental federal spaces | Reserved spaces provinces can use for two federal priorities | 10,000, being 5,000 and 5,000 | IRCC transition material, July 27, 2026 |
| AIP admissions target | People admitted through the Atlantic Immigration Program | 4,000, range 3,000 to 5,000 | Supplementary information, 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan |
| AIP allocation spaces | Atlantic Immigration Program allocation | 3,315 | IRCC transition material, July 27, 2026 |
The 10,000 supplemental spaces
Separately from the 43,999, IRCC’s transition material states that “the federal government reserved 10,000 supplemental spaces that provinces and territories can use to support federal priorities via their PNP”. It describes the split in these words: “IRCC reserved 5,000 dedicated federal selection spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors and address critical healthcare shortages, and another 5,000 federal selection spaces to boost francophone immigration outside Quebec”.
These 10,000 spaces are separate targeted PNP spaces for two stated federal priorities. They should not be treated as part of a general provincial allocation available to every candidate. Access depends on the federal purpose of the spaces and on how a province or territory implements the measure, so applicants should check the current provincial program criteria rather than infer individual eligibility from the national totals.
How 43,999 and 91,500 fit together
The reconciliation is IRCC’s own planning assumption. The same transition material states that “each allocation results in approximately 1.8 admissions”.
The reason is family. A nomination certificate is issued to a principal applicant. When that person is admitted as a permanent resident, an accompanying spouse and dependent children are usually admitted at the same time, and all of them count against the admissions target. One nomination therefore produces close to two admissions on average.
IRCC performs the relevant comparison itself: it says 43,999 PNP allocation spaces, at approximately 1.8 admissions per allocation, are expected to generate nearly 80,000 future PNP admissions. The department does not state that the 10,000 supplemental spaces should simply be multiplied by 1.8 and added to reconcile the annual 91,500 target, so this article does not make that assumption.
So the figures are coherent. What is not coherent is calling 91,500 an allocation.
The Atlantic Immigration Program shows the same pattern
The Atlantic Immigration Program is not a provincial nominee program. It is a separate federal programme with provincial endorsement rather than nomination. It is worth naming here only because it is measured the same way, at a smaller scale that makes the gap easy to see. For 2026 the Levels Plan carries an AIP admissions target of 4,000 within a range of 3,000 to 5,000, and the transition material identifies 3,315 AIP allocation spaces. Anyone quoting the 4,000 as the number of endorsements available is making the same category error at one twentieth the size.
How we got here: 110,000, then 55,000, then this
For context, the PNP admissions target changed sharply before 2026. IRCC material prepared for a parliamentary committee states that “the targets for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) will decrease from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025”, and adds that “the decrease in PNP levels space will slow the intake of provincial nominees and will likely impact the allocations that can be distributed to PTs in 2025”.
The 2026 admissions target of 91,500 is higher than the 55,000 target for 2025 and lower than the 110,000 target for 2024. Those three figures are all admissions targets, so they can be compared directly with one another.
The 43,999 figure belongs to a different measurement: PNP allocation spaces received by provinces and territories for 2026. For the current national PNP process and eligibility framework, see our Provincial Nominee Program guide.
Why the two figures are easy to confuse
The figures appear in different federal materials. The 91,500 admissions target appears in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, while the 43,999 allocation-space figure appears in IRCC’s July 27, 2026 Deputy Minister transition material. Reading only one document can therefore leave the other measurement out of view.
The labels also describe different stages of the system. An admissions target concerns people expected to become permanent residents, while an allocation space concerns provincial or territorial capacity to nominate a principal applicant. The terms should therefore be carried with the number whenever the figures are compared.
Our current national PNP guide uses the same admissions-versus-allocation distinction and links to the current federal sources.
What this actually means for your file
Four practical consequences.
- Provincial intake can change during the year. Provinces and territories control their own streams and may adjust openings, caps, priorities or intake procedures. Check the current provincial program notice before relying on a stream being available.
- Provincial priorities differ. Occupation, sector, job-offer and connection requirements are set through individual provincial and territorial programs and can change during the year. Check the official program criteria and current notices for the province you are considering.
- The supplemental spaces matter for two specific groups. Licensed doctors and francophone immigration outside Quebec have 5,000 reserved spaces each under the federal description. That is a different calculation from the general pool.
- An Express Entry-linked nomination adds 600 CRS points. IRCC says those additional points help a candidate get invited to apply. They substantially increase ranking, but an invitation still depends on the applicable Express Entry round and is not guaranteed.
If you are deciding between a provincial route and a federal route this year, the question is which streams are realistically open for your occupation right now, not what the headline number says.
Frequently asked questions
So are there 91,500 nominations available in 2026?
No. The Levels Plan sets 91,500 as the 2026 PNP admissions target. Separately, IRCC’s July 27 transition material says provinces and territories received 43,999 PNP allocation spaces and that the federal government reserved 10,000 targeted supplemental PNP spaces for two federal priorities.
Did PNP go up or down for 2026?
Up against 2025 and down against 2024, measured in admissions targets. Committee material records a fall from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025, and the Levels Plan sets 91,500 for 2026. Describing 2026 as an expansion is only meaningful if you say what it is being compared to.
How many nominations does my province get?
IRCC distributes the allocation to provinces and territories. We did not locate a consolidated per province allocation table for 2026 on canada.ca, and this article does not publish one. Some provinces publish their own figure on their own official immigration site, and where they do it is a provincial government source rather than a federal one. Treat unsourced per province numbers in news coverage with caution.
What are the 5,000 doctor spaces?
IRCC describes them as “5,000 dedicated federal selection spaces for provinces and territories to nominate licensed doctors and address critical healthcare shortages”. They are part of the 10,000 supplemental spaces and sit outside the 43,999.
What are the 5,000 francophone spaces?
IRCC describes them as “another 5,000 federal selection spaces to boost francophone immigration outside Quebec”, also part of the 10,000 supplemental spaces. The federal material states the purpose. It does not set out the conditions an individual province attaches when it uses those spaces, and this article does not state any.
Can a province run out of nominations mid year?
Provincial and territorial programs operate within annual allocation arrangements, but intake can also be affected by targeted supplemental measures, program changes and provincial decisions during the year. Check the current provincial program notice rather than assuming an early-year stream will remain open or unchanged.
Does a nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. A nomination is a provincial endorsement. The permanent residence application is decided by IRCC, which assesses admissibility and the substance of the application independently. Nothing here is a prediction that any application will be approved.
Use the right number for the right question
Ask what each number measures before using it. The 91,500 figure is a PNP admissions target. The 43,999 figure is the number of PNP allocation spaces provinces and territories received for 2026. Individual eligibility still depends on the province or territory, the stream, current intake rules and the evidence in the application.
Our licensed consultants in Mississauga can tell you which provincial streams are realistically open for your occupation right now, whether either supplemental measure applies to you, and whether a provincial route or a federal route is the better use of your time this year.
This article was reviewed by Usman Khalil, RCIC, R709592. It is general information about published immigration figures and is not legal advice about your file. Nothing here is a prediction that any application will be approved.
Official sources reviewed
- IRCC, Deputy Minister transition binder 2026, Economic Immigration, date modified 2026-07-27, carrying the 43,999 PNP allocation spaces, the 10,000 supplemental spaces, the 1.8 admissions assumption and the 3,315 AIP allocation spaces. canada.ca
- IRCC, Supplementary information for the 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan, carrying the 91,500 PNP admissions target and the ranges. canada.ca
- IRCC, CIMM committee material on the Provincial Nominee Program, carrying the decrease from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025. canada.ca
- IRCC, Immigrate as a provincial nominee, carrying the 600 extra points and provincial control of requirements and numbers. canada.ca
- IRCC, Check processing times, linked rather than publishing a figure. canada.ca
Official sources last checked: August 14, 2026.
This article is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy. It is not legal advice and it does not create a consultant and client relationship. Immigration rules change without notice. Confirm your own situation with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or a lawyer before you act.
