Canada reports a 60% drop in international student arrivals and a 50% reduction in foreign workers following immigration reforms.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated that new international student arrivals have decreased by approximately 60%, while temporary foreign worker arrivals have halved, as his government advances a stricter immigration policy aimed at diminishing the number of temporary residents in the country.

Discussing the immigration reforms, Carney noted that asylum claims have also declined by a third.

“Arrivals of foreign workers have dropped by 50%, and international student arrivals have decreased by 60%. We can now thoughtfully reconstruct a sustainable immigration system that aligns with Canadian values,” he remarked.
These changes are gaining attention in India; Canada has traditionally been a favored destination for Indian students due to its post-study work opportunities and routes to permanent residency.

Nevertheless, Ottawa has been progressively tightening its intake over the past two years, reducing study permit targets and enforcing stricter eligibility criteria. Last year, approximately 74% of Indian study permit applications were rejected in August 2025, compared to about 32% in August 2023, according to Reuters.

As per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of new study and work permit holders arriving in Canada has significantly dropped following a series of restrictions implemented since 2024, which include caps on international student permits and stricter regulations for temporary foreign workers.

Official statistics indicate that new study permit arrivals plummeted by 84% in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same timeframe in 2024. The government asserts that these stringent immigration measures are designed to alleviate pressure on housing, healthcare, and other public services.