Canada recorded a 20% decline in new permanent residents, with nearly half of the drop tied to India, as the country’s immigration slowdown deepened alongside falling student numbers. New data also show study permits for Indian students have fallen 66% since 2023, while Ontario and British Columbia accounted for 81% of the national drop in permanent residents and Quebec rose 12%.
- New permanent residents in Canada fell 20%, with nearly half of the decline linked to India.
- Study permits for Indian students have dropped 66% since 2023.
- Ontario and British Columbia absorbed 81% of the national drop in permanent residents.
- Quebec increased by 12%.
- Federal data reveals a seventy-three percent drop in new student and temporary worker arrivals during early twenty twenty-six.
- Total arrivals plummeted by one hundred ninety-nine thousand individuals compared to the same four-month period in twenty twenty-four.
- New statistics measure inflow at entry points rather than the total population of permit holders already residing in Canada.
(CANADA) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recorded a 73% drop in new student and temporary worker arrivals between January and April 2026 compared with the same period in 2024, according to federal data.
The decline represents 199,335 fewer people entering Canada to begin studies or temporary work over the four-month window. IRCC disclosed the figures on its “Understanding student and temporary worker numbers in Canada” webpage, last updated on June 21, 2026.
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Based on the reported percentage and absolute decline, approximately 273,062 new students and temporary workers arrived in Canada during the first four months of 2024. By 2026, that number had fallen to roughly 73,727.
New arrivals are counted when an individual enters Canada to commence an authorized stay under a study permit or work permit. This metric differs from total permit-holder counts, which include people already living in the country under active permits.
By tracking new entries rather than the existing permit-holder population, the data provide a measure of inflow during a specific period rather than a snapshot of everyone currently present. The webpage serves as a public resource for monitoring arrivals under Canada’s temporary residence programs.
It consolidates data across two permit categories: study permits, issued to international students enrolled at Canadian educational institutions, and work permits, issued to foreign nationals authorized to hold employment in Canada. Both categories contributed to the combined reduction.
During the January-to-April period in 2024, Canada admitted substantially more new students and temporary workers than during the same months two years later. Averaged across the four-month reporting window, the shortfall amounts to approximately 49,834 fewer new arrivals per month compared with the corresponding period in 2024.
That monthly figure translates to roughly 1,661 fewer people per day entering Canada to study or work on a temporary basis. IRCC’s page distinguishes between new entrants and the broader stock of permit holders.
The data capture how many individuals are beginning their temporary stay, not how many are currently in the country. Current permit-holder counts in Canada are influenced by additional factors beyond new arrivals, including departures, permit expirations, and transitions to permanent residence.
A decline in new arrivals does not necessarily produce an equivalent reduction in the total temporary resident population, as existing permit holders may remain in the country under valid authorizations. The June 21, 2026 revision is the most recent update to the page.
IRCC has not indicated when the next refresh of the arrival data will occur. The figures cover a period in which Canada’s intake of new temporary residents contracted sharply.
Whether the trend continues through the remainder of 2026 will depend on subsequent IRCC updates and any policy adjustments affecting study permit and work permit issuance. For individuals planning to enter Canada as students or temporary workers, the data signal a landscape in which fewer new permits are being issued at the point of entry compared with two years ago.
The 73% drop in arrivals between January and April 2026 and the same period in 2024 reflects a substantial shift in the volume of people beginning temporary stays in Canada.
