CIMM – Student and Temporary Workers – May 4, 2026

Understanding student and temporary worker numbers in Canada

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%.

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.

72% fewer arrivals to Canada between January and February 2026 compared to the same period in 2024 – down 81,540

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 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.

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

New student arrivals to Canada 2,135 in February 2026.

75% fewer new student arrivals between January and February 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 ­down 27,665.

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 eligMt 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.

New worker arrivals to Canada10,375 in February 2026

71% fewer new worker arrivals between January and February 2026, compared to the same period in 2024 - down 53,875.

Total number of students and temporary workers in Canada

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.

People who only hold a study permit 453,505 in Canada as of February 28, 2026

People who only hold a work permit 1,492,935 in Canada as of February 28, 2026

People who hold both a work and study permit 245,005 in Canada as of February 28, 2026

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.

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.

20,000 Target workers permanent resident admissions for 2026

3, 600 Admissions from January to February 2026

18% of the way to our 2026 target

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

Asylum claimants
Monthly data on asylum claimants at a border crossing, in Canada and RCMP apprehensions between ports of entry

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
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