The number of study permits issued to international students in Canada last year fell by a quarter compared to the corresponding figure for 2024. The decline in permits issued to Indian students was even steeper in 2025, nearly half the number in 2024.
According to annual data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, total study permits issued fell from 514,915 in 2024 to 383,905 in 2025, a 25% decline, having already fallen from a record high of 680,795 in 2023.
This was also the lowest number since 2018 when 354,260 permits were issued during 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel and the number fell to 255,530.
As for Indian students, the number of study pass holders last year almost halved, falling from 188,715 to 94,605. The number for 2023 was 277,965.
IRCC has indicated that it is working to reduce international student numbers to a “sustainable level”. He pointed out that the number of new incoming students decreased by 61% in 2025 compared to 2025, a decrease of 177,595. The total number of study permits issued includes these new arrivals as well as those already in the country who hold these valid visas.
In a speech in Toronto last week, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lina Metlig Diab, said when Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed her last spring that “the mission was clear” and included restoring control and balance, and rebuilding confidence in the immigration system.
As part of this process, Canada has capped the number of international students, made admission letter review mandatory to prevent study permit fraud and increased financial requirements.
The decline follows policies put in place in the last quarter of 2023, with further restrictions ordered over the following months amid concerns about a surge in temporary migrants contributing to rising housing affordability and pressure on public infrastructure.
In tiering plans announced in November last year, the government expected a 7% drop in the total number of international students issued with permits this year. IRCC indicated that the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be a maximum of 408,000, including 155,000 visas issued to newly arrived international students as well as 253,000 extensions for existing and returning students.
“This figure is 7% lower than the 2025 issuance target of 437,000 and 16% lower than the 2024 issuance target of 485,000,” IRCC said.
The cap, first introduced in 2024, “has been an effective tool in slowing the growth of Canada’s temporary population” as the number of study permit holders fell from more than 1 million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025, IRCC said.
“While this progress is important, further reductions are needed to meet our commitment to reduce the proportion of Canada’s temporary population to less than 5 per cent of the total population by the end of 2027,” she added.
An immigration levels plan introduced to Parliament earlier this month saw Canada sharply reduce the number of temporary residents, including international workers and students, by about 43%.
In the previous levels plan, the government considered admitting 305,000 new international students every year. However, the latest plan showed that the target is 155,000 this year, then falling to 150,000 in 2027 and 2028.
