The number of study permits issued to international students in Canada declined sharply last year, falling by 25% compared to 2024. The drop was even steeper for Indian students, with permits issued to them nearly halving in 2025.
According to annual data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), total study permits fell from 514,915 in 2024 to 383,905 in 2025 — a significant reduction after the record high of 680,795 permits issued in 2023.
The 2025 intake marks the lowest level since 2018, when 354,260 permits were granted. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the figure had dropped even further to 255,530 due to global travel disruptions.
Indian students witnessed one of the sharpest declines. The number of permits issued to them dropped from 188,715 in 2024 to 94,605 in 2025. In comparison, 277,965 permits had been issued to Indian students in 2023.
IRCC said it is reducing international student numbers to a “sustainable level.” The department noted that there were 61% fewer new student arrivals in 2025 compared to the previous year — a decline of 177,595. The total study permit count includes both new arrivals and students already in Canada with valid permits.
Speaking in Toronto last week, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said that when she was appointed by Prime Minister Mark Carney last spring, the objective was to restore “control and balance” and rebuild confidence in the immigration system.
As part of this strategy, Canada has introduced a cap on international student numbers, made verification of acceptance letters mandatory to prevent fraud, and increased financial requirements for applicants.
The decline follows policy changes introduced in late 2023, with additional restrictions rolled out in subsequent months. These measures were driven by concerns that a surge in temporary residents was worsening housing affordability and straining public infrastructure.
In its immigration levels plan announced in November, the government projected a 7% reduction in total study permits this year. IRCC confirmed that study permits will be capped at 408,000 in 2026, including 155,000 visas for new international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students.
“This number is 7% lower than the 2025 issuance target of 437,000 and 16% lower than the 2024 issuance target of 485,000,” IRCC stated.
The department added that the cap, first introduced in 2024, has effectively slowed the growth of Canada’s temporary population. The number of study permit holders declined from over one million in January 2024 to approximately 725,000 by September 2025.
However, IRCC said further reductions are necessary to meet the government’s goal of reducing temporary residents to below 5% of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027.
The latest immigration levels plan, tabled in Parliament earlier this month, outlines a sharp reduction in the intake of temporary residents — including workers and students — by nearly 43%.
While the previous plan aimed to admit 305,000 new international students annually, the updated targets have been cut to 155,000 this year, with further reductions to 150,000 planned for 2027 and 2028.
