Number of new international students in Canada has already dropped by 70%
The number of new international students arriving in Canada has seen a significant drop, according to data provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
According to statistics from IRCC, although Canada issued 11,235 new international student study permits in January this year, those numbers saw a precipitous drop over the next few months. Between January and June this year, Canada issued a total of just 36,417 study permits; in comparison, from January to June 2024, Canada issued 125,034 study permits.
With 88,617 fewer new international students arriving in the first half of 2025, the number represents a steep 70 per cent decline compared to the same period in 2024. March 2025 saw the lowest number of study permits issued at just 3,819, a significant difference compared to the 16,875 permits issued in March 2024.
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The IRCC site states, “We’re reducing the number of international students coming to Canada to a sustainable level.”
The ripple effect has been felt throughout the education sector, with one B.C. university recently announcing another round of layoffs due to the drop in international student enrollments.
And it’s not just international students — the number of new work permits issued has dropped by half.
From January to June 2024, Canada issued 245,137 new work permits, whereas the government issued only 119,234 work permits in the first half of 2025. That comes out to 125,903 fewer new workers arriving in Canada in 2025, representing a 51 per cent decrease from the previous year during the same six-month period.
And there could be further decreases in the future.
In May, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the Liberal government planned to further cap the number of international students and temporary foreign workers to “ease strains” on housing in Canada.
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Canada is also expecting a decrease in the number of permanent residents this year.
The IRCC outlined its three-year immigration plan in October 2024, stating that it aims to welcome 395,000 permanent residents in 2025.
In an email to Daily Hive, the IRCC stated that it has already welcomed 246,300 new permanent residents from January 1 to July 31 and is on track to meet its target.
“The Government of Canada is committed to restoring immigration to sustainable levels,” IRCC stated. “Canada’s immigration system has long been a source of national pride and economic vitality. We are focused on rebuilding public trust by bringing greater balance to the system.”