Fresh arrival statistics released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and analysed by VisaHQ show that between January and September 2025 Canada admitted 53 % fewer first-time international students and temporary foreign workers compared with the same period in 2024. The absolute drop—roughly 150,000 fewer study-permit holders—comes on top of a 10 % cut to the national study-permit cap announced last year and stricter proof-of-funds rules that took effect in July.
September’s numbers are striking: only 11,390 new students entered, versus 45,200 in August. Universities reliant on international tuition are warning of program closures and staff layoffs. Sectors such as hospitality and agri-food, which depend on seasonal foreign labour, report tighter recruiting pipelines under the International Mobility Program and anticipate greater use of the more cumbersome Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
In this environment, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers up-to-date checklists, real-time fee calculators, and on-call specialists who can flag province-specific quotas before you file. The service helps students, employers, and mobility managers pivot to alternative pathways and avoid delays when federal caps tighten.
![IRCC Data Reveal 53 % Plunge in New International Students and Temp Workers]()
Ottawa insists the contraction is deliberate. The federal government argues that lower inflows will ease pressure on housing and health services while it recalibrates immigration to better match labour-market needs. IRCC’s forthcoming 2026-28 Levels Plan, expected in February, will indicate whether further caps are likely or whether provinces can negotiate allocations tied to demonstrated housing capacity.
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: build in longer lead times and explore provincial pathways or Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) options earlier in the recruitment cycle. Education providers, meanwhile, are lobbying for incentive-based caps that reward institutions investing in residence construction and regional economic development.
VisaHQ, which compiled the analysis, recommends that prospective students double-check Letter of Acceptance verification and maintain liquid funds well above the new CAD 20,635 minimum to avoid refusal.
September’s numbers are striking: only 11,390 new students entered, versus 45,200 in August. Universities reliant on international tuition are warning of program closures and staff layoffs. Sectors such as hospitality and agri-food, which depend on seasonal foreign labour, report tighter recruiting pipelines under the International Mobility Program and anticipate greater use of the more cumbersome Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
In this environment, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers up-to-date checklists, real-time fee calculators, and on-call specialists who can flag province-specific quotas before you file. The service helps students, employers, and mobility managers pivot to alternative pathways and avoid delays when federal caps tighten.
Ottawa insists the contraction is deliberate. The federal government argues that lower inflows will ease pressure on housing and health services while it recalibrates immigration to better match labour-market needs. IRCC’s forthcoming 2026-28 Levels Plan, expected in February, will indicate whether further caps are likely or whether provinces can negotiate allocations tied to demonstrated housing capacity.
For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: build in longer lead times and explore provincial pathways or Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) options earlier in the recruitment cycle. Education providers, meanwhile, are lobbying for incentive-based caps that reward institutions investing in residence construction and regional economic development.
VisaHQ, which compiled the analysis, recommends that prospective students double-check Letter of Acceptance verification and maintain liquid funds well above the new CAD 20,635 minimum to avoid refusal.
