The number of study permits granted to international students in Canada significantly decreased in the first half of this year, with almost 90,000 fewer permits issued compared to the previous year.
This decline followed the implementation of a limit on international student visas by the federal government in early 2024.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada issued 125,034 international study permits between January and June 2024. However, this number dropped to 36,417 for the same period this year.
IRCC provided data for the first halves of both 2024 and 2025.
Furthermore, the number of applications for international student visas also saw a decrease. In the first half of 2025, the department received 302,795 applications, down from 398,675 in the first half of 2024 and 575,535 in the first half of 2023.
Laura Blondeau, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab, mentioned that the decrease in applications in 2025 indicates the effectiveness of the implemented measures. The focus remains on attracting top global talent to support economic growth, with ongoing collaboration with various stakeholders in the education sector.
Over the past decade, many Canadian educational institutions increased their efforts to recruit international students due to declining post-secondary funding and tuition freezes for domestic students in some provinces. International student tuition fees, significantly higher than those paid by domestic students, became a crucial source of revenue for these institutions.
Researcher Dale McCartney on what prompted the sharp rise in international students, the role of work permits and how officials have long marketed post-secondary studies as an easier path to settling in Canada.
In late 2023, the federal government started implementing stricter requirements for international students and announced a 35% reduction in undergraduate study permits over two years in 2024. Subsequently, there was an additional 10% decrease, expanding to include graduate and doctoral students who were previously exempt. Eligibility for the post-graduate work permit program was also tightened during this period.
Colleges and universities nationwide have expressed concerns about the negative impacts of the cap on their finances, programs, and broader communities.
