Freshly released data from Canada has revealed that the country recorded a massive decline in student and work permit arrivals in 2026.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that between January and March of 2026, arrivals of new international students and temporary workers plummeted by approximately 75% compared to the same period in 2024.
The decline comes on the heels of the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which established strict annual caps on international study permits and heavily restricted intake for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
According to IRCC figures, Canada recorded just 2,085 new study permit arrivals in March 2026—down nearly 45% from March 2025, and a fraction of the 16,860 who arrived in March 2024.
A breakdown of the data revealed that in 2024 Canada recorded 292,970 study permit arrivals; 115,180 arrivals in 2025 and 11, 195 arrivals in 2026.
Canada recorded just 2,085 new student arrivals in March 2026. Compare that with 16,860 in March 2024.
The government says the decline comes after:
- Firm Study Permit Caps: A strict limit of just 437,000 issued study permits nationwide
- Mandatory verification of college acceptance letters
- Tighter Financial Thresholds: Doubling the cost-of-living funds international students must prove they possess before arrival.
- Planned reductions through 2028
Worker arrivals are shrinking, too. Canada recorded 13,910 new worker arrivals in March 2026, down sharply from nearly 64,000 combined arrivals in March 2024.
- Mar 2024 63,640
- Mar 2025 18,500
- Mar 2026 13,910
Canada has tightened several programs, including:
- Low-wage Temporary Foreign Worker hiring
- Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility
- Slashed Spousal Open Work Permits: Limiting work visa eligibility strictly to spouses of master’s, doctoral, and specific professional degree students.
- Employer access in high-unemployment regions
- At the same time, Canada says it will prioritise workers aready inside the country for permanent residence pathways.
Rather than shutting the door to newcomers entirely, this Canada immigration policy shift represents a strategic redirection. Instead of pulling millions of new applicants from outside the country, IRCC is aggressively prioritizing individuals who are already living, studying, and working within Canadian borders.
Data shows that over 59% of new permanent residents admitted in early 2026 were former temporary residents who successfully transitioned through streams like Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Furthermore, under the current Levels Plan, the government has committed to accelerating permanent residency pathways for up to 33,000 established in-Canada temporary workers who are already integrated into local communities and paying taxes.
