Canada sees historic drop in international student permits after tightened rules

The IRCC data show that just 2,485 new study permits were issued in November 2025, compared with 95,320 in December 2023, when approvals surged ahead of the winter intake, the highest monthly total on record.

IRCC said its "new student arrivals" figures reflect study permits issued in a given month, not the number of students physically entering the country.

The data include only first-time approvals and exclude permit extensions, asylum seekers and existing students. IRCC said the figures are intended to measure new pressure on housing and public services rather than the total international student population.

New student arrivals between January and November 2025 fell 60%, or 157,380, compared with the same period in 2024.

The IRCC noted that December and August are typically peak months for permit issuance, as approvals are processed ahead of winter and fall semesters, meaning comparisons between November 2025 and December 2023 overstate the scale of the decline.

Even so, August 2025 approvals fell sharply to 45,065, down from 79,745 in August 2024, by 43%.

Policy-driven decline

The IRCC has attributed the drop to policy measures aimed at reducing the temporary resident population.

In a public statement, the department said the figures show its reforms are having the intended effect, easing pressure on housing, healthcare and public services.

"The number of new students and workers arriving to Canada is declining, a clear sign that the measures we've put in place are working."

"This downward trend reflects our commitment to a well-managed and sustainable immigration system," it said.

Work permit issuance has also declined. Just 13,365 work permits were issued in November 2025, the lowest monthly figure since December 2023. Between January and November 2025, new worker arrivals fell 47%, or 177,465, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Caps and tighter rules

Canada introduced an annual cap on international student study permits in 2024, which has been extended through 2025 and 2026.

IRCC said last November that up to 408,000 study permits will be issued in 2026, a 7% reduction from the 2025 target. This includes about 155,000 new permits and 253,000 renewals or extensions.

The government has also tightened the International Student Program by mandating acceptance letter verification to combat fraud and increasing financial requirements for applicants.

Further reductions are planned under Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which cuts new international student arrivals to 155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in both 2027 and 2028, down from about 305,900 in 2025, nearly a 50% reduction aimed at easing pressure on housing, healthcare and infrastructure.

As of Nov. 30, 2025, Canada had 476,330 international students, down from 673,970 recorded on Dec. 23, 2023.