Overview
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says 2,135 new international students arrived in February 2026, down 48% from a year earlier and 75% from February 2024.
- January 2026 also showed a slowdown, with 7,040 new students and 11,850 temporary workers entering Canada, marking sizable year-over-year declines.
- The federal plan now limits new study permits to 155,000 in 2026 and 150,000 in both 2027 and 2028, cutting earlier targets by more than half.
- IRCC credits the downturn to tougher rules that include mandatory checks of acceptance letters, higher money requirements for students, changes to work permits, and tighter limits on low‑wage jobs and family access.
- The government frames the strategy as a short‑term reset to bring temporary residents below 5% of the population by end‑2027, even as Canada still hosts a large student cohort, including many from India.