Canada’s Study Permits Drop 60% Amid Immigration Policy Overhaul
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Canada has recorded a dramatic 60% decline in international student arrivals during the first half of 2025, marking one of the steepest drops in the country’s education sector in recent history. New data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that fewer than 90,000 new international students entered the country between January and August, a sharp fall compared to 2024 figures.
The figures indicate that Canada is unlikely to meet its revised 2025 target of issuing 437,000 study permits, already a 10% reduction from the previous year’s cap. The federal government, however, has framed the decline as evidence of progress in its broader plan to reduce the number of temporary residents across the country.
According to Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) Matthew McDonald, the government’s interpretation has been met with concern within the international education sector. “The international education sector is rightly concerned that study permit approvals are far below the caps, but the news release makes clear that those concerns are not shared by the Carney government,” he told The PIE News.
Overall, the number of individuals holding either study or work permits in Canada has dropped by 22% compared to last year. The total number of active study permit holders now stands at around 802,000 — 21% lower than in 2024 and the lowest since 2021, when pandemic restrictions were in effect.
Stakeholders have warned that the decline will have significant economic and institutional repercussions. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has urged the government to launch a renewed International Education Strategy to rebuild Canada’s global reputation and strengthen its ties through education and trade.
International students contributed nearly CA$40 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022, supporting local communities and addressing labour shortages. Despite this, the government remains firm in its goal to reduce temporary resident levels to 5% by 2027, a move analysts say signals a longer-term tightening of Canada’s immigration framework.
Source: THE PIE NEWS
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