Key numbers on Canadian immigration - Understanding student and temporary worker numbers in Canada
Data as of March 31, 2026
Canada’s immigration system is evolving to support long-term economic growth while achieving sustainable immigration levels. Learn how we help temporary residents stay and contribute to Canada’s long-term growth, including key figures.
Through the Immigration Levels Plan, we’re making our immigration system more responsive to the needs of the country. This includes reducing the number of students and temporary workers coming to Canada to help ease pressures on housing, infrastructure, and services.
We have committed to returning immigration to sustainable levels, including reducing Canada's temporary population to less than 5%.
The data below provides a snapshot of current volumes of international students and temporary foreign workers in Canada, as part of our broader effort to manage migration to Canada sustainably.
Data is approximate and subject to change.
About the data
Please note that in the tables on this page, all values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. In the graphs, all values between 0 and 5 will be visualized as zero. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason; as a result of rounding, the data may not sum to the totals indicated.
New student and worker arrivals to Canada
The number of new students and workers arriving to Canada is declining—a clear sign that the measures we’ve put in place are working.
This downward trend reflects our commitment to a well-managed and sustainable immigration system.
How we count arrivals
We count arrivals based on the number of people issued study or work permits in that month. If someone was issued both a study and a work permit in the same month, they will be counted under the study permit group.
Some groups aren’t included in the data. The student and worker arrivals excludes:
- asylum claimants
- People who claim asylum in Canada are seeking protection under international law. These claims are not part of planned immigration levels and volumes cannot be directly controlled
- permit extensions
- People who apply to extend their stay are already in Canada. They’re not new arrivals. Counting extensions would inflate the numbers without reflecting new pressures on housing or services.
- seasonal agricultural workers
- These workers are highly targeted and tied to immediate labour shortages, often in rural or remote areas. These workers come for a short period, tend to live in employer-provided housing, and are critical to food supply.
- workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program who are in Canada for 270 days or less, where the start and end dates fall within the same calendar year
- These workers meet immediate labour needs, often in industries like tourism or construction.
Monthly arrivals
The graph below shows total arrivals for each month since December 2023.
| Month | Study permit holders | Work permit holders |
|---|---|---|
| Dec-23 | 95,300 | 30,320 |
| Jan-24 | 27,560 | 33,140 |
| Feb-24 | 9,240 | 42,910 |
| Mar-24 | 16,860 | 63,640 |
| Apr-24 | 45,785 | 34,695 |
| May-24 | 14,225 | 34,660 |
| Jun-24 | 11,280 | 35,990 |
| Jul-24 | 17,110 | 29,570 |
| Aug-24 | 79,710 | 26,035 |
| Sep-24 | 28,880 | 29,590 |
| Oct-24 | 6,515 | 25,220 |
| Nov-24 | 5,980 | 21,295 |
| Dec-24 | 29,825 | 16,555 |
| Jan-25 | 11,215 | 14,875 |
| Feb-25 | 4,070 | 14,365 |
| Mar-25 | 3,810 | 18,495 |
| Apr-25 | 8,515 | 23,580 |
| May-25 | 4,535 | 23,610 |
| Jun-25 | 4,155 | 23,940 |
| Jul-25 | 7,615 | 18,355 |
| Aug-25 | 44,965 | 16,725 |
| Sep-25 | 11,295 | 17,395 |
| Oct-25 | 3,010 | 14,475 |
| Nov-25 | 2,465 | 13,300 |
| Dec-25 | 9,530 | 9,695 |
| Jan-26 | 6,975 | 11,785 |
| Feb-26 | 2,135 | 10,840 |
| Mar-26 | 2,085 | 13,910 |
Annual arrivals
The graph below shows total arrivals for each year.
| Month | Study permit holders | Work permit holders |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 292,970 | 393,305 |
| 2025 | 115,180 | 208,815 |
| 2026 (Jan-Mar) | 11,195 | 36,535 |
75% fewer
arrivals to Canada between January and March 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 145,625
International students in Canada
We’re reducing the number of international students coming to Canada to a sustainable level.
You’ll notice seasonal changes in the data for study permits, with increases before the start of each semester, particularly in August, ahead of the fall semester.
What we’ve done
- Capped international student numbers by introducing an annual cap on international student study permits in 2024 and announcing further reductions in 2025 and 2026
- Strengthened the International Student Program by making acceptance letter review mandatory to prevent study permit fraud and raising financial requirements to better prepare students
- Planned further reductions in new student arrivals to Canada for 2026-2028 as part of the Immigration Levels Plan
| Month | Number of permit holders |
|---|---|
| Dec-23 | 95,300 |
| Jan-24 | 27,560 |
| Feb-24 | 9,240 |
| Mar-24 | 16,860 |
| Apr-24 | 45,785 |
| May-24 | 14,225 |
| Jun-24 | 11,280 |
| Jul-24 | 17,110 |
| Aug-24 | 79,710 |
| Sep-24 | 28,880 |
| Oct-24 | 6,515 |
| Nov-24 | 5,980 |
| Dec-24 | 29,825 |
| Jan-25 | 11,215 |
| Feb-25 | 4,070 |
| Mar-25 | 3,810 |
| Apr-25 | 8,515 |
| May-25 | 4,535 |
| Jun-25 | 4,155 |
| Jul-25 | 7,615 |
| Aug-25 | 44,965 |
| Sep-25 | 11,295 |
| Oct-25 | 3,010 |
| Nov-25 | 2,465 |
| Dec-25 | 9,530 |
| Jan-26 | 6,975 |
| Feb-26 | 2,135 |
| Mar-26 | 2,085 |
79% fewer
new student arrivals between January and March 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 42,465
Temporary workers in Canada
As Canada’s economy evolves, it’s important that we focus on providing job opportunities to those who are already in Canada, including newcomers.
What we’ve done
- Updated the Temporary Foreign Worker Program by putting a 10% limit on low-wage hiring (20% in certain in-demand sectors) and stopped processing low-wage applications in census metropolitan areas with at least 6% unemployment. These rules applied to more jobs once we increased the minimum wage needed for high-wage roles.
- Reformed the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) by tightening eligibility requirements for the PGWP to better align the program with immigration goals and labour market needs.
- Limited work permits for spouses of temporary residents by tightening work permit eligibility for spouses of international students and temporary foreign workers.
- Accelerated permanent residence for select temporary skilled workers who are already working in Canada in in-demand sectors.
- Planned further reductions in new worker arrivals to Canada for 2026-2028 as part of the Immigration Levels Plan.
| Month | Temporary Foreign Workers | International Mobility Program Participants |
|---|---|---|
| Dec-23 | 5,440 | 24,875 |
| Jan-24 | 6,520 | 26,615 |
| Feb-24 | 6,560 | 36,355 |
| Mar-24 | 7,550 | 56,090 |
| Apr-24 | 10,940 | 23,755 |
| May-24 | 10,525 | 24,135 |
| Jun-24 | 10,205 | 25,785 |
| Jul-24 | 8,460 | 21,105 |
| Aug-24 | 7,095 | 18,940 |
| Sep-24 | 7,960 | 21,630 |
| Oct-24 | 6,900 | 18,320 |
| Nov-24 | 6,025 | 15,270 |
| Dec-24 | 4,725 | 11,830 |
| Jan-25 | 3,890 | 10,985 |
| Feb-25 | 3,310 | 11,050 |
| Mar-25 | 4,780 | 13,720 |
| Apr-25 | 7,735 | 15,850 |
| May-25 | 7,450 | 16,165 |
| Jun-25 | 6,445 | 17,495 |
| Jul-25 | 5,400 | 12,955 |
| Aug-25 | 4,160 | 12,565 |
| Sep-25 | 4,000 | 13,395 |
| Oct-25 | 3,100 | 11,375 |
| Nov-25 | 2,535 | 10,760 |
| Dec-25 | 2,090 | 7,605 |
| Jan-26 | 2,665 | 9,120 |
| Feb-26 | 2,075 | 8,765 |
| Mar-26 | 3,500 | 10,410 |
74% fewer
new worker arrivals between January and March 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 103,160
Total number of students and temporary workers in Canada
The charts below show the total number of students and temporary workers currently in Canada and how that number has changed over time.
While we have committed to reducing the number of temporary residents in Canada, it will take time for the full effects to appear in the data. That’s because inventories of existing applications continue to be processed under the rules that were in place when they were submitted.
As a result, more significant effects of the new measures will only start to appear a few months after they begin.
These totals do not include asylum claimants, protected persons or related groups who may hold a study or work permit. Numbers reflect data from the last day of each month.
Can someone hold a work and study permit at the same time?
Yes, it is possible to hold both a work and study permit at the same time. For example, international students with a co-op element of their program need a separate work permit to work in Canada.
-
People who only hold a study permit
431,160
in Canada as of March 31, 2026
People who only hold a study permit Month Number of permit holders Dec-23 673,925 Jan-24 679,675 Feb-24 670,800 Mar-24 657,790 Apr-24 675,465 May-24 670,860 Jun-24 659,330 Jul-24 618,855 Aug-24 651,015 Sep-24 626,525 Oct-24 625,255 Nov-24 604,830 Dec-24 598,550 Jan-25 603,235 Feb-25 599,420 Mar-25 567,345 Apr-25 552,275 May-25 552,310 Jun-25 545,875 Jul-25 498,475 Aug-25 513,360 Sep-25 472,395 Oct-25 482,580 Nov-25 474,765 Dec-25 460,070 Jan-26 459,650 Feb-26 452,835 Mar-26 431,160 -
People who only hold a work permit
1,510,580
in Canada as of March 31, 2026
People who only hold a work permit Month Number of permit holders Dec-23 1,233,155 Jan-24 1,245,405 Feb-24 1,274,830 Mar-24 1,340,480 Apr-24 1,375,205 May-24 1,390,990 Jun-24 1,405,925 Jul-24 1,427,205 Aug-24 1,430,020 Sep-24 1,459,455 Oct-24 1,460,890 Nov-24 1,462,210 Dec-24 1,463,095 Jan-25 1,470,785 Feb-25 1,466,220 Mar-25 1,477,445 Apr-25 1,504,755 May-25 1,506,655 Jun-25 1,504,595 Jul-25 1,493,805 Aug-25 1,487,930 Sep-25 1,493,185 Oct-25 1,489,990 Nov-25 1,488,950 Dec-25 1,461,365 Jan-26 1,479,050 Feb-26 1,491,210 Mar-26 1,510,580 -
People who hold both a work and study permit
228,915
in Canada as of March 31, 2026
People who hold both a work and study permit Month Number of permit holders Dec-23 320,800 Jan-24 343,850 Feb-24 359,875 Mar-24 346,875 Apr-24 346,015 May-24 359,900 Jun-24 373,685 Jul-24 356,195 Aug-24 368,640 Sep-24 340,980 Oct-24 353,985 Nov-24 346,255 Dec-24 329,765 Jan-25 340,055 Feb-25 348,000 Mar-25 330,500 Apr-25 308,865 May-25 309,295 Jun-25 311,140 Jul-25 285,395 Aug-25 286,640 Sep-25 250,245 Oct-25 254,205 Nov-25 243,895 Dec-25 228,650 Jan-26 233,905 Feb-26 244,405 Mar-26 228,915
Helping temporary residents stay and contribute long term
Canada’s immigration system is evolving to support long-term economic growth while achieving sustainable immigration levels. That’s why we’re helping more temporary residents (TRs), people who are already working, studying, and contributing to their communities, become permanent residents (PRs).
They are well-integrated, as they usually have a Canadian education, Canadian work experience and strong skills in one or both official languages. Most of them apply for permanent residence through economic programs like Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program, which are designed to select people who meet Canada’s labour market and regional priorities.
Former temporary residents who became permanent residents
By building on the contributions of those already here, Canada can continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world, while easing pressures on infrastructure, housing and services.
| Period | Number of former TRs who became PRs | % of total new PRs during the period |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 215,090 | 44% |
| 2025 | 188,820 | 48% |
| 2026 (Jan-Mar) | 49,310 | 59% |
Accelerating permanent residence for select workers
The one-time In-Canada Workers Initiative is accelerating permanent residence for 33,000 workers who are already contributing to Canadian communities in in-demand sectors, with a particular focus on those living in smaller communities.
In 2026, we plan to admit at least 20,000 workers as permanent residents through this initiative. The remaining will be admitted in 2027.
Who we’re admitting
We’re focusing on workers who
- have been living in smaller communities in Canada for at least 2 years; and
- have applied for permanent residence through the following programs:
Additional resources
Statistics on temporary workers
Get detailed data on the Open Government Portal
Statistics on international students
Get detailed data on the Open Government Portal
Additional resources
Asylum claimants
Monthly data on asylum claimants at a border crossing, in Canada and RCMP apprehensions between ports of entry
Additional resources
IRCC’s application inventory
Information on how many applications are within or exceeding our service standards, as well as how many we’ve processed
Additional resources
Immigration Levels Plan
Each year, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables the Immigration Levels Plan, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next three years