Canada faces a sharp drop in international student numbers, i.e., new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals a steep decline in both new international student arrivals and the overall international student population compared to last year.
In August 2025, only 45,380 new international students arrived in Canada. It is a sharp drop from 79,795 arrivals in August 2024, marking a 43.1% decrease.
In this article, the term “arrivals” refers to the issuance of new study or work permits.
Between January and August 2025, there were 132,505 fewer new student arrivals than during the same period in 2024.
This decline follows a series of federal policy changes aimed at reducing Canada’s temporary resident population to below 5% of the country’s total population.
Continued Decline In Temporary Resident Levels In 2025
International Student Arrivals
From January to August 2025, Canada recorded 89,430 new student arrivals, down by 132,505 compared to the same period last year.
According to IRCC’s Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government had set a target of 305,900 new international student arrivals for 2025.
So far, the arrivals through August represent just 29.24% of IRCC’s annual target.
To reach its midpoint target, IRCC would need to issue approximately 216,470 study permits in the final months of 2025.
New Worker Arrivals
In August 2025, 16,890 new temporary foreign workers entered Canada, slightly below July’s total of 18,450.
However, year-over-year data shows a much more significant drop. From June to August 2025, Canada welcomed 59,365 new workers, representing a 35% decline from the same period last year, when 91,695 workers arrived.
Overall, between January and August 2025, Canada registered 243,945 student and worker arrivals, which is 278,900 fewer than in the same timeframe in 2024.
The 2025 Immigration Levels Plan set a target of 673,650 total temporary resident arrivals. To meet that goal, IRCC would need to approve 429,705 more permits by the end of the year.
Current Temporary Resident Populations
As Canada faces a sharp drop in international student numbers, let us look at the current temporary resident populations.
People Who Only Hold A Study Permit
Between August 2024 and August 2025, the number of study permit holders in Canada dropped by 26%.
| Month | August 2025 | August 2024 |
| Number of study permit holders | 514,540 | 651,230 |
Despite a small seasonal rise in August 2025 due to fall semester admissions, the international student population has been steadily declining throughout the year.
People Who Only Hold A Work Permit
IRCC’s latest figures also show a gradual decline in the number of temporary foreign workers in recent months.
| Month | August 2025 | July 2025 | June 2025 |
| Number of work permit holders | 1,489,645 | 1,494,905 | 1,504,575 |
Yet, when compared to last year, the total temporary foreign worker population has actually grown by 4.37%.
| Month | August 2025 | August 2024 |
| Number of work permit holders | 1,489,645 | 1,427,235 |
IRCC explains that this increase is largely due to ongoing processing of applications submitted before new policies took effect.
The department added, “More significant effects of the new measures will become visible only a few months after implementation.”
Another contributing factor to the rise in work permit holders is the number of international graduates transitioning to Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs).
People Who Hold Both Work And Study Permits
IRCC data shows that the number of individuals holding both a study and work permit rose slightly from July to August 2025 but remains significantly lower than a year earlier.
| Month | August 2025 | July 2025 | August 2024 |
| Number of foreign nationals in Canada with both a study and work permit | 288,885 | 286,220 | 368,815 |
This combined group helps illustrate the total temporary resident population, which peaked in August 2024 and has since been declining.
Canada’s Temporary Resident Levels Under Debate
In recent months, Canada’s temporary resident policies have become a major point of political contention.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has publicly called for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to be eliminated entirely.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that the government is working on refining the TFWP, emphasizing that it must be “focused on specific strategic sectors and regional needs.”
It’s important to note, however, that the TFWP is not the main contributor to Canada’s temporary foreign worker numbers. Most work permits are issued under the International Mobility Program (IMP), which operates under different rules and generally serves economic and cultural exchange purposes.
According to the current Immigration Levels Plan, IMP targets are considerably higher than TFWP’s, reinforcing its larger role in the country’s temporary workforce.
Temporary Resident Targets For 2025–2027
| Temporary Resident (TR) Category | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Total TR Arrivals and Ranges | 673,650 (604,900 – 742,400) | 516,600 (435,250 – 597,950) | 543,600 (472,900 – 614,250) |
| Workers | 367,750 | 210,700 | 237,700 |
| Students | 305,900 | 305,900 | 305,900 |
Canada is expected to release its Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 in the coming weeks. The updated plan will include the official targets for temporary resident admissions in 2026, as well as notional targets for 2027 and 2028.
Despite the declines in 2025, Canada remains committed to recalibrating its temporary immigration policies. The government aims to balance labour market demands and educational opportunities while ensuring sustainable population growth – a move that will likely shape the country’s immigration strategy for years to come.
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