PNP 2026: The 91,500-Admission Expansion and Where the Spots Are

The big number — and what it actually counts

First, a distinction that confuses almost everyone: 91,500 is the PNP admissions target (permanent residents landed) in the 2026–2028 Levels Plan, not the number of nomination certificates provinces can issue. The per-province allocations — the certificates each province may actually hand out — are negotiated separately with IRCC and sum to a smaller number. When you read "Ontario: 14,119," that is certificates; the 91,500 includes spouses, partners, and dependent children who land with the principal applicant, plus a federal reserve described below.

The 91,500 target (rising to 92,500 in 2027 and 2028) accounts for nearly a quarter of all permanent admissions. In 2025 the equivalent number was 55,000; in 2024 it was about 110,000. So 2026 is a sharp rebound from last year's squeeze, though still below the 2024 peak.

The 2026 allocation map

Confirmed and reported provincial allocations for 2026:

Atlantic province figures were still being finalized through 2026, so treat those as estimates following the national ~31% increase trend. On top of provincial allocations, IRCC holds about 10,000 federal spaces outside the provincial counts, reserved for practice-ready physicians and French-speaking candidates, plus 5,000 additional federal selection spaces for provinces to nominate French speakers outside Quebec.

The two PNPs: enhanced vs base

Every province effectively runs two programs. Enhanced streams are aligned with Express Entry: a provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, which virtually guarantees an invitation in the next PNP-specific Express Entry draw. These suit candidates who already have (or can create) an Express Entry profile.

Base streams run outside Express Entry, usually on a paper or portal application directly to the province, and are often the better fit for candidates with lower CRS scores, specific job offers, or occupations a province is targeting. Base streams are slower — they don't ride the Express Entry six-month processing standard — but in 2026 several provinces directed the majority of their allocation to non-Express Entry streams. Alberta, for example, put roughly four-fifths of its 2026 spaces into non-Express Entry pathways.

The practical takeaway: don't assume Express Entry alignment is always better. Check where your target province is actually spending its allocation.

Which streams are hot in 2026

Three themes dominate provincial programming this year:

Healthcare everywhere. Nearly every province prioritizes health workers. British Columbia's April 2026 overhaul made this explicit: the BC PNP dropped its graduate, technology, and entry-level pathways entirely and now runs just two Skills Immigration streams — Skilled Worker and Health Authority — focused on healthcare and construction trades. Ontario is replacing older streams (Foreign Worker, Master's Graduate, Skilled Trades) with new Priority Healthcare and Exceptional Talent pathways.

Skilled trades and construction. With housing supply a national preoccupation, trades workers are targeted from BC to the Atlantic provinces. Saskatchewan's 2026 design is illustrative: a minimum 50% of nominations reserved for priority sectors, a maximum 25% for capped sectors, and 750 spots specifically for post-secondary graduates in priority fields.

French speakers. The federal French-speaking admissions targets (9% of all admissions in 2026, rising to 10.5% in 2028) flow through to provinces, which get dedicated federal spaces to nominate Francophones outside Quebec.

Outlook: why PNP matters more than ever

Three forces make 2026 the year of the province. First, the allocation surge itself — 66% more room than 2025. Second, Express Entry in 2026 ran no all-program draws at all; invitations went to CEC, PNP, and category draws, so a provincial nomination is increasingly the reliable on-ramp. Third, the Levels Plan's one-time transition of 33,000 temporary workers with strong community roots runs substantially through provincial channels.

The caveat: allocations are ceilings, not guarantees, and popular streams fill fast — Ontario issued over 13,600 invitations in the first half of 2026 against its 14,119 allocation. If a stream fits you, apply early in the cycle, and have a second province as backup.

How to pick your province: a decision framework

Don't start with the allocation table — start with yourself. Answer four questions in order. First: do you have a job offer, and where? A genuine offer in a targeted occupation beats every allocation number. Second: where do you have real ties — past study, work, or family? Provinces score intent to reside, and officers can tell the difference between a strategic application and a real plan. Third: does your profile fit an enhanced (Express Entry) or base stream — check the province's actual recent draws, not last year's guide. Fourth: only now look at allocation size and fill rates — a big allocation in a stream you don't qualify for is worth nothing, while a small, quiet stream you fit perfectly is gold. Ontario's volume suits many; Saskatchewan's or Manitoba's targeted streams often suit specific profiles better with less competition.