Canada’s Temporary Resident Arrivals Fall Sharply In 2025

Canada is seeing a sharp decline in the arrival of temporary residents in 2025. According to fresh immigration data, new international student arrivals dropped by 70 percent. New worker arrivals fell by 50 percent in the first six months of the year.

Between January and June, Canada welcomed 88,617 fewer students and 125,903 fewer workers compared to the same time in 2024. This means 214,520 fewer newcomers entered Canada with study or work permits.

Study permits lose ground

The data shows that most new arrivals now come on work permits. Between February and June, about 80 percent of new arrivals held work permits. Last year, the figure was closer to 70 percent. Student arrivals have fallen sharply, though numbers usually rise in August and December during school intakes.

Fewer arrivals each month

On average, Canada welcomed 20,839 students and 40,865 workers monthly in early 2024. In the same period of 2025, the numbers fell to 6,070 students and 19,872 workers.

Who counts as a new arrival?

The immigration department counts only those who receive a new permit in a given month. People with both study and work permits get counted under study permits. The data excludes asylum claimants, permit extensions, seasonal farm workers, and other short-term contracts.

Changes to populations inside Canada

The number of students already in Canada has dropped. From January 2024 to June 2025, the country lost 133,325 study permit holders. In contrast, work permit holders rose by 262,262 over the same time.

There was only a slight decrease among those holding both permits. In total, temporary residents with either study, work, or both permits grew by 137,851, reaching more than 2.36 million by June 2025.

Why work permits remain high

Work permits have not declined as quickly because many students stay in Canada after graduation. They move to post-graduation work permits, which keeps overall numbers high. Many students from earlier years are still studying or just graduating, which slows the decline.

Government measures to curb arrivals

Since 2024, the government has introduced strict measures to manage student and worker inflows. For students, these include application caps, higher cost-of-living requirements, stricter work rules, and tighter pathways to post-graduation permits.

For workers, reforms include closing COVID-era programs, limiting company transfers, banning flagpoling at borders, and restricting spousal permits. The government has also set new targets for temporary foreign workers under existing programs.

A new plan for immigration

For the first time, Canada’s immigration plan now includes temporary residents alongside permanent residents. The plan, announced in late 2024, aims to cut the share of temporary residents in the population from 7 percent to 5 percent by 2026.