Canada’s tightening grip on temporary migration has yielded a stunning statistic: new international student arrivals fell by 97 percent year-on-year, according to monthly data released by IRCC and first reported by the Indian Express on 24 January. Only 2,485 new study permits were issued in November 2025, down from more than 95,000 in December 2023—just before Ottawa introduced a national cap and tougher financial rules.
IRCC stresses that “new arrivals” counts permits issued, not physical entries, yet the trend is unmistakable: between January and November 2025, approvals were 60 percent lower than the same period in 2024. Officials say the drop is deliberate, aimed at reducing the temporary-resident share of the population to 5 percent by 2027 and easing pressure on housing and health services.
The collapse hits colleges and universities hard. Many smaller public colleges rely on international tuition for up to 40 percent of operating revenue. Budget officers warn that a prolonged decline could force program cuts, layoffs and higher domestic fees. Private career colleges—already under scrutiny for quality concerns—face an existential threat as volumes dry up.
![International student arrivals plunge 97 % after study-permit cap, IRCC data reveal]()
Amid this volatility, prospective students can benefit from specialized visa support. VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance on Canadian study-permit rules, tailored document checklists and application tracking that help applicants satisfy the new financial and attestation-letter requirements. Explore their services at https://www.visahq.com/canada/ to streamline the process and avoid costly mistakes.
Students and education agents must adapt quickly. IRCC will maintain the cap in 2026 (projected 408,000 total permits), but master’s and PhD candidates at public institutions are exempt from provincial attestation letters. Applicants with strong finances, verified letters of acceptance and programs that feed labour-shortage occupations stand the best chance of success.
For employers, fewer first-year arrivals mean a smaller pipeline of post-graduation work-permit holders from 2028 onward. Sectors such as retail, hospitality and entry-level tech support—traditionally staffed by recent graduates—should revisit talent strategies, perhaps leaning more on domestic co-op students or offshore service hubs.
IRCC stresses that “new arrivals” counts permits issued, not physical entries, yet the trend is unmistakable: between January and November 2025, approvals were 60 percent lower than the same period in 2024. Officials say the drop is deliberate, aimed at reducing the temporary-resident share of the population to 5 percent by 2027 and easing pressure on housing and health services.
The collapse hits colleges and universities hard. Many smaller public colleges rely on international tuition for up to 40 percent of operating revenue. Budget officers warn that a prolonged decline could force program cuts, layoffs and higher domestic fees. Private career colleges—already under scrutiny for quality concerns—face an existential threat as volumes dry up.
Amid this volatility, prospective students can benefit from specialized visa support. VisaHQ offers up-to-date guidance on Canadian study-permit rules, tailored document checklists and application tracking that help applicants satisfy the new financial and attestation-letter requirements. Explore their services at https://www.visahq.com/canada/ to streamline the process and avoid costly mistakes.
Students and education agents must adapt quickly. IRCC will maintain the cap in 2026 (projected 408,000 total permits), but master’s and PhD candidates at public institutions are exempt from provincial attestation letters. Applicants with strong finances, verified letters of acceptance and programs that feed labour-shortage occupations stand the best chance of success.
For employers, fewer first-year arrivals mean a smaller pipeline of post-graduation work-permit holders from 2028 onward. Sectors such as retail, hospitality and entry-level tech support—traditionally staffed by recent graduates—should revisit talent strategies, perhaps leaning more on domestic co-op students or offshore service hubs.
