Federal government on track to undershoot international student admissions target

Canada admitted less than a third of its annual target number of international students over the first eight months of 2025.

From January 2025 through August 2025, the federal government issued only 89,430 new study permits, a mere 29% of its annual target of 305,900.

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To meet its 2025 admissions target, the federal government would have to issue an additional 216,470 study permits from September 1 to December 31—a tall order, given that Jan through Aug accounted for 75.69% of annual admissions in 2024.

Scaling back of international student program

The government made a number of policy chances throughout 2024 intended to curb international student numbers, as part of its efforts to reduce pressure on housing and social services, and to reduce the number of temporary residents to less than 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2026.

This year, we’re seeing the effect of those changes: from Jan through Aug 2025, international student admissions declined by 70%, with the government issuing 132,505 fewer new study permits compared to the same period in 2024.

To reduce temporary resident levels related to the international student program, the government made the following changes throughout 2024 and 2025:

• Implemented a cap on study permit applications.
• Eliminated eligibility for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) for graduates of programs offered through curriculum licensing agreements.
• Introduced field of study requirement for PGWPs for graduates of all programs except bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
• Introduced language test requirements for PGWPs.
• Restricted eligibility for spousal open work permits for spouses of international students to spouses of doctoral students, master’s students of programs of 16 months or longer, and students in select professional programs.
• In Oct 2024, for the first timed included temporary resident targets in its annual Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027.

The 2025 target of 305,900 admissions of international students was established in Oct of 2024 in the Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027 .

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