Canada to further cut international student, foreign worker permits

Canada announced on Wednesday that it will reduce the number of international student permits for next year and tighten regulations for foreign workers in a bid to decrease the number of temporary residents in the country. This decision follows several previous restrictions aimed at addressing record immigration levels, which have pushed Canada’s population past 41 million.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has highlighted that the high levels of immigration are straining the housing market, job sector, and social services. Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated, "It is a privilege to come to Canada. It is not a right."

In 2025, Ottawa plans to issue 437,000 study permits, down from 485,000 this year and over 500,000 in 2023. The government will also implement new limits on work permits for spouses of certain international students and foreign workers, and will increase scrutiny before issuing travel visas to counter a rise in fraudulent asylum claims.

Additionally, Ottawa aims to reduce the number of temporary residents to 5% of the population, down from 6.8% in April.