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Key numbers on Canadian immigration - Understanding student and temporary worker numbers in Canada

Data as of July 31, 2026

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 reducing Canada’s temporary population to less than 5% by the end of 2027.

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 responsibly.

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 in the same way that volumes of temporary workers, students, or permanent immigrants can.
  • 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.

New student and worker arrivals to Canada – Monthly
Month Study permit holders Work permit holders
Dec-23 95,290 30,315
Jan-24 27,550 33,135
Feb-24 9,240 42,905
Mar-24 16,855 63,630
Apr-24 45,775 34,685
May-24 14,225 34,650
Jun-24 11,280 35,980
Jul-24 17,105 29,560
Aug-24 79,670 26,035
Sep-24 28,875 29,580
Oct-24 6,510 25,215
Nov-24 5,980 21,280
Dec-24 29,810 16,535
Jan-25 11,210 14,860
Feb-25 4,070 14,350
Mar-25 3,805 18,485
Apr-25 8,510 23,565
May-25 4,535 23,585
Jun-25 4,155 23,925
Jul-25 7,600 18,325
Aug-25 44,885 16,705
Sep-25 11,270 17,375
Oct-25 3,005 14,460
Nov-25 2,460 13,280
Dec-25 9,475 9,670
Jan-26 6,935 11,745
Feb-26 2,135 10,800
Mar-26 2,075 13,825
Apr-26 4,895 21,715
May-26 3,325 19,585
Jun-26 3,020 20,295
Jul-26 5,820 15,395
Annual arrivals

The graph below shows total arrivals for each year.

New student and worker arrivals to Canada – Annual
Month Study permit holders Work permit holders
2024 292,875 393,185
2025 114,975 208,580
2026 (Jan-July) 28,200 113,360

 66% fewer

arrivals to Canada between January and July 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 275,010

International students in Canada

155,000
student arrivals target for 2026

About the student arrivals target

In the Immigration Levels Plan, we set targets for how many new students we expect will arrive in Canada each year. This target aligns with the annual international student cap, which limits the number of new study permits and extensions we issue.

28,200
arrivals from January to July 2026 

We’re on track to stay within the target for 2026

The number of students arriving in Canada depends on many factors:

  • recent changes to the International Student Program
  • how learning institutions recruit
  • how many prospective students apply

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

New student arrivals to Canada

5,820

in July 2026

New student arrivals to Canada
Month Number of permit holders
Dec-2395,290
Jan-2427,550
Feb-249,240
Mar-2416,855
Apr-2445,775
May-2414,225
Jun-2411,280
Jul-2417,105
Aug-2479,670
Sep-2428,875
Oct-246,510
Nov-245,980
Dec-2429,810
Jan-2511,210
Feb-254,070
Mar-253,805
Apr-258,510
May-254,535
Jun-254,155
Jul-257,600
Aug-2544,885
Sep-2511,270
Oct-253,005
Nov-252,460
Dec-259,475
Jan-266,935
Feb-262,135
Mar-262,075
Apr-264,895
May-263,325
Jun-263,020
Jul-265,820

More information on new student arrivals to Canada

We count student arrivals based on the number of people that were issued a study permit in that month. If a person was issued both a study and a work permit within the same month, they will be counted under the study permit group.

This student arrivals data excludes:

  • asylum claimants
  • permit extensions

 80% fewer

new student arrivals between January and July 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 113,830

Temporary workers in Canada

230,000
worker arrivals target in 2026

About the new temporary worker arrival target

In the Immigration Levels Plan, we set targets for the number of new workers we expect will arrive in Canada each year. Workers targets are based on current policies in place and anticipated labour market needs.

113,360
arrivals from January to July 2026 

We’re on track to stay within the target for 2026

The number of workers arriving in Canada depends on how many apply and are approved to work. Changes to some of our work permit streams in 2025 caused demand to drop.

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

New worker arrivals to Canada

15,400

in July 2026

New worker arrivals to Canada
Month Temporary Foreign Workers International Mobility Program Participants
Dec-235,44024,875
Jan-246,52026,615
Feb-246,55536,350
Mar-247,54556,080
Apr-2410,94023,745
May-2410,52524,125
Jun-2410,20525,775
Jul-248,45521,100
Aug-247,09518,935
Sep-247,96021,620
Oct-246,90018,315
Nov-246,02015,260
Dec-244,72011,815
Jan-253,88010,975
Feb-253,31011,040
Mar-254,77513,705
Apr-257,73015,835
May-257,43516,150
Jun-256,44017,480
Jul-255,39012,935
Aug-254,15512,545
Sep-253,99513,380
Oct-253,10011,360
Nov-252,53510,745
Dec-252,0907,580
Jan-262,6509,090
Feb-262,0658,735
Mar-263,47510,350
Apr-266,40515,310
May-264,58515,000
Jun-263,97516,320
Jul-263,58011,815

More information on new workers arrivals to Canada

We count temporary worker arrivals based on the number of people that were issued a work permit in that month. If a person was issued both a study and a work permit within the same month, they will be counted under the study permit group.

This temporary worker arrivals data excludes:

  • asylum claimants
  • permit extensions
  • agricultural workers
  • 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

 59% fewer

new worker arrivals between January and July 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 – down 161,180

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 a study permit at the same time?

Yes, it is possible to hold both a work and study permit at the same time. In the data shown on this page, we count these people as study permit holders.

  • People who hold a study permit

    590,205

    in Canada as of July 31, 2026

    People who only hold a study permit - Table
    People who hold a study permit
    Month Number of permit holders
    Dec-23994,685
    Jan-241,023,470
    Feb-241,030,620
    Mar-241,004,610
    Apr-241,021,420
    May-241,030,705
    Jun-241,032,965
    Jul-24974,995
    Aug-241,019,575
    Sep-24967,415
    Oct-24979,155
    Nov-24951,005
    Dec-24928,220
    Jan-25943,190
    Feb-25947,315
    Mar-25897,735
    Apr-25861,010
    May-25861,470
    Jun-25856,880
    Jul-25783,725
    Aug-25799,740
    Sep-25722,265
    Oct-25736,330
    Nov-25718,090
    Dec-25687,965
    Jan-26692,695
    Feb-26696,250
    Mar-26658,905
    Apr-26630,550
    May-26631,915
    Jun-26632,175
    Jul-26590,205

  • People who only hold a work permit

    1,560,565

    in Canada as of July 31, 2026

    People who only hold a work permit - Table
    People who only hold a work permit
    Month Number of permit holders (TFW) Number of permit holders (IMP)
    Dec-23185,9351,048,150
    Jan-24187,8601,058,525
    Feb-24192,3301,083,570
    Mar-24201,4451,140,195
    Apr-24219,2301,157,220
    May-24233,0101,159,300
    Jun-24244,2701,163,050
    Jul-24250,8851,177,750
    Aug-24255,5901,175,875
    Sep-24259,6301,201,275
    Oct-24260,3951,201,940
    Nov-24259,3601,204,275
    Dec-24233,1351,231,380
    Jan-25233,0151,239,165
    Feb-25231,0501,236,530
    Mar-25238,1101,240,650
    Apr-25253,7501,252,255
    May-25262,2601,245,585
    Jun-25268,4101,237,285
    Jul-25272,3551,222,440
    Aug-25272,9451,215,865
    Sep-25273,9701,219,915
    Oct-25272,6501,217,905
    Nov-25269,6201,219,695
    Dec-25230,1501,231,265
    Jan-26225,6901,252,605
    Feb-26226,3851,263,155
    Mar-26232,7551,275,160
    Apr-26246,8301,303,560
    May-26249,7401,308,650
    Jun-26252,6001,300,175
    Jul-26254,0801,306,485

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 188,020 48%
2026 (Jan-July) 127,135 57%

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

Immigration Levels Plan

Tabled each year, a forward-looking snapshot of immigration targets for the next 3 years

Page details

2026-09-15