In the first nine months of 2025, Canada witnessed a fall of 60% in the arrival of new international students. 150,220 fewer new students arrived between January and September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
In September 2025, only 11,390 new students arrived in Canada compared to 28,910 in September last year, a fall of 60%.
The fall could be because of the semester’s starting month. In August 2025, 45,200 new students arrived. However, a comparative figure for August 2024 shows a big falling trend. In August 2024, 79,770 had arrived to commence their studies in Canada. This is almost a 43% decline in the number of students for the session starting month.
Data for study permits shows big increases in December and August each year. That’s because most study permits are issued before the start of the fall and winter semesters. As of September 30, 2025, 473,860 people hold a study permit in Canada and 251,300 people hold both a work and study permit.
Canada’s Rules for Students
There is a reason behind the arrival of fewer international students in Canada. The Canadian government has taken a conscious decision to reduce the temporary foreign population in Canada.
The IRCC plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025, a 10% decrease from the 2024 cap. Also, the study permit allocation process has been tightened, now requiring an attestation letter from a province or territory for every application to IRCC.
Post-graduation work permit
Starting September 1, 2024, international students pursuing a curriculum licensing arrangement are not allowed to qualify for a post-graduation work permit. Additionally, open work permits are restricted to spouses of international students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs, excluding those in undergraduate and college programs.