Canada has reported a significant decline in the number of new international students and foreign workers in 2025, according to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), said CIC News in a report. Between January and June, the country welcomed 88,617 fewer students and 125,903 fewer foreign workers compared to the same period in 2024, resulting in a total reduction of 214,520 new arrivals.
According to the report, there was a marked shift in the composition of new arrivals. Between February and June 2025, work permit holders made up an average of 80% of new arrivals, compared with 70% during the same period in 2024. Study permit holders saw a sharp drop, reflecting the impact of measures introduced to curb inflows of temporary residents. While August and December typically see more student arrivals for fall and winter intakes, the decrease in study permit holders has been consistent across months.
Monthly averages range from January to June 2025 saw 6,070 new study permit holders and 19,872 new work permit holders, down from 20,839 and 40,865, respectively, in the same months of 2024. IRCC counts arrivals based on permits issued each month, excluding asylum claimants, permit extensions, seasonal agricultural workers, and short-term workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
While new arrivals have decreased, the total population of temporary residents in Canada has grown. From January 2024 to June 2025, the number of study permit holders fell by 133,325, while work permit holders rose by 262,262. Dual permit holders, those holding both a study and a work permit, declined slightly by 32,014. Overall, Canada saw an increase of 137,851 temporary residents during this period.
IRCC attributes the slower decline in work permit holders to post-graduation pathways. Many international students transition to work permits under the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program, keeping work permit numbers high even as study permit arrivals fall.
Several reforms have contributed to the decline in new arrivals. Study permit measures include provincial caps, higher financial requirements, stricter PGWP eligibility, revised off-campus work rules, and the closure of expedited streams like the Student Direct Stream. Work permit reforms involve ending COVID-era transitions, limiting Intra-Company Transferees to specialized roles, banning flag-poling, setting multi-year permit targets under the International Mobility Program (IMP) and TFWP, and restricting Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs) for certain categories.
For the first time, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan has set targets for temporary residents alongside permanent residents. Announced in October 2024, the plan aims to reduce the share of temporary residents from 7% to 5% of Canada’s population by 2026.
According to the report, there was a marked shift in the composition of new arrivals. Between February and June 2025, work permit holders made up an average of 80% of new arrivals, compared with 70% during the same period in 2024. Study permit holders saw a sharp drop, reflecting the impact of measures introduced to curb inflows of temporary residents. While August and December typically see more student arrivals for fall and winter intakes, the decrease in study permit holders has been consistent across months.
Monthly averages range from January to June 2025 saw 6,070 new study permit holders and 19,872 new work permit holders, down from 20,839 and 40,865, respectively, in the same months of 2024. IRCC counts arrivals based on permits issued each month, excluding asylum claimants, permit extensions, seasonal agricultural workers, and short-term workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
While new arrivals have decreased, the total population of temporary residents in Canada has grown. From January 2024 to June 2025, the number of study permit holders fell by 133,325, while work permit holders rose by 262,262. Dual permit holders, those holding both a study and a work permit, declined slightly by 32,014. Overall, Canada saw an increase of 137,851 temporary residents during this period.
IRCC attributes the slower decline in work permit holders to post-graduation pathways. Many international students transition to work permits under the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program, keeping work permit numbers high even as study permit arrivals fall.
Several reforms have contributed to the decline in new arrivals. Study permit measures include provincial caps, higher financial requirements, stricter PGWP eligibility, revised off-campus work rules, and the closure of expedited streams like the Student Direct Stream. Work permit reforms involve ending COVID-era transitions, limiting Intra-Company Transferees to specialized roles, banning flag-poling, setting multi-year permit targets under the International Mobility Program (IMP) and TFWP, and restricting Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs) for certain categories.
For the first time, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan has set targets for temporary residents alongside permanent residents. Announced in October 2024, the plan aims to reduce the share of temporary residents from 7% to 5% of Canada’s population by 2026.
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