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Canada's Student Doors Slam Shut: 300K Fewer Foreigners
6 Feb
Summary
- Canada's foreign student population dropped by nearly 300,000 since December 2023.
- Student arrivals saw a 60% decrease between January and November 2025.
- Canada aims to reduce temporary residents to below 5% of its total population.
Canada, previously a popular destination for international students, has seen a dramatic reduction in its foreign student numbers. Between December 2023 and November 2025, the total international student population fell by 273,570, a decrease of 27.5%. This significant drop is largely attributed to recent policy shifts, including enrollment caps, stricter post-study work regulations, and increased study permit rejections.
New student arrivals have been sharply curtailed, with a 60% decline observed from January to November 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. This pullback is part of a larger government initiative to reduce the overall number of temporary residents. Canada's Immigration Levels Plan forecasts continued reductions, with a target of 155,000 international students for 2026, a nearly 49% decrease from the 2025 target.
The government's objective is to ensure temporary residents constitute less than 5% of Canada's total population by the end of 2027. This goal necessitates a substantial decrease in the number of non-permanent residents, moving from approximately 2.7 million in November 2025 towards a target of around 2.08 million by the close of 2026. Future intake figures are set at 150,000 students for 2027 and 2028.
