Temporary resident arrivals in Canada continue to decline

Arrivals of temporary residents have declined significantly in July 2025, with worker arrivals down 37% and student arrivals down 55%, compared to July 2024.*

According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 18,500 new workers arrived in Canada in July 2025. This marks a significant decline from the 29,595 who arrived during the same month last year.

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Student arrivals also fell steeply. Just 7,685 new international students entered Canada in July 2025, down from the 17,140 who arrived in July 2024.

Overall, Canada admitted 20,550 fewer new workers and students this July compared to last year.

The figures reflect the federal government’s efforts to reduce the temporary resident population to less than 5% of the overall population through policy shifts and tighter rules.

*Throughout this article, “arrivals” refers to the issuance of new study permits or new work permits.

Continued decline of temporary resident levels in 2025

Last month, IRCC released temporary resident level data showcasing that new student arrivals had declined by 70% and new worker arrivals had declined by 50% in the period between January and June of 2025 (as compared to the same period in 2024).

These trends have continued, according to the latest data released by IRCC.

Cumulatively, there has been a decrease of 235,070 new student and worker arrivals between January and July of 2025, as compared to the same period in 2024.

In July, there were 26,185 new student and worker arrivals.

This is a decrease of 7.29% compared to the 28,245 new students and workers arrivals in Canada in June 2025.

Current temporary level populations

The international student population has decreased substantially, while the number of foreign workers has increased slightly.

Foreign nationals with study permits

In July, the number of foreign nationals in Canada who hold study permits decreased by 119,705, compared to July 2024.

Month	July 2025	July 2024
Number of study permit holders	499,365	619,070

Meanwhile, comparing the number of foreign nationals in Canada in July 2025 to that one month prior (June 2025) shows a decrease of 47,195.

Month	July 2025	June 2025
Number of study permit holders	499,365	546,560

Foreign nationals with work permits

The population of foreign nationals with a work permit has seen only modest change over the last few months.

The number of foreign nationals in Canada as of July 2025 has increased by 71,360 (5%), compared to July 2024.

Month	July 2025	July 2024
Number of work permit holders	1,494,905	1,423,545

Meanwhile, the number of foreign nationals in Canada with work permits in July 2025 decreased slightly when compared to last month (June 2025).

Month	July 2025	June 2025
Number of study permit holders	1,494,905	1,504,575

Falling study permit numbers and rising work permit numbers is to be expected, as many international students graduate, obtain Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP), and remain in Canada as work permit holders.

Since a typical undergraduate program lasts four years, PGWP issuances can lag the issuance of initial study permits by four years or longer.

The federal government first began scale back study permit issuances in January 2024, so the full impact on work permit issuances is yet to come.

Individuals with study and work permits

The population of those holding both study permits and work permits has seen a substantial decrease in July 2025 – both when compared to the same month in 2024, and when compared to last month (June 2025).

Month	July 2025	June 2025	July 2024
Number of foreign nationals holding both a study and work permit	286,465	312,010	356,380

Canada's temporary resident population peaked in August of 2024 at 2,446,523 individuals, and has been trending downward since then, with July 2025 seeing a decrease of 3% relative to the previous month.

 

Canada's temporary resident levels under scrutiny

Over the last few years, temporary resident numbers have been the subject of much political debate.

Earlier this month, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre called for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to be scrapped and for an end to all new permits issued in Canada.

Poilievre claimed that the federal government had failed to meet its established immigration targets, with 105,00 TFWP work permits having been issued from Jan - June 2025, compared to the government's annual target of 82,000.

Poilievre's claim is false. The figure of 105,000 includes renewals and extensions for permits for foreign workers already in Canada, while the target of 82,000 is a target for new arrivals under the TFWP.

Of the 105,000 permits issued from Jan to June, new arrivals made up only 33,700, or 41% of the government's annual target of 82,000.

In fact, the TFWP is not the main driver of the temporary foreign worker population in Canada.

The lion's share of work permits are issued under the International Mobility Program (IMP) rather than the TFWP. Canada’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan sets targets of 285,750 new arrivals through the IMP and 82,000 through the TFWP for 2025.

The target for new arrivals under the IMP is set to decrease by 55% for the year 2026 (from 285,750 to 128,700), while the 2026 target for new arrivals under the TFWP is set to remain flat at 82,000.

According to data released by the Statistics Canada, changes in immigration policy since early 2024 have curbed population growth. Between January 1, 0225 and April 1, 2025, the number of temporary residents in Canada fell by 61,111 from January 1, 2025, to April 1, 2025, and Canada’s population in total increased by only 20,107 (or 0.0%).

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