Canada Saw Lowest-Ever Student Arrivals in February

Here is a full breakdown of the February numbers and what you should know if you’re thinking about working or studying in Canada.    

Key Takeaways:    

• There were 2,135 new student arrivals in Canada in February, the lowest yet  
• There were 10,375 new worker arrivals, down 14,365 from the same time last year    
• 31,860 temporary residents became permanent residents between January and February 2026, making up 60% of all permanent resident admissions for the month  

International Student Arrivals    

In February, 2,135 new students arrived in Canada. This is a drop of around 5,000 over the 7,040 that arrived in January.   

Lower arrivals in the middle of the semester are expected. New classes generally don’t start until the summer semester in May. Still, the number is just barely over half of the student arrivals in February 2025.    

February 2026 Snapshot    

• 2,135 new student arrivals    
• 453,505 active study permit holders    
• International student arrivals were down 75% between January and February when compared to the same period in 2024.   

Here are the monthly student arrival numbers for 2026:    

What Can We Expect for International Student Arrivals in 2026?    

IRCC is continuing its strategy to bring the number of temporary residents below 5% of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027, which implies that international student numbers will continue to decline.  

At this point, it appears IRCC may even hit its reduced target earlier than expected. Looking at the 2025 figures, the department aimed for 305,900 new international students, but only 115,385 actually arrived—roughly 62% below the target.  

This pattern is likely to persist in 2026. This year, IRCC has set a cap of 155,000 new student arrivals.  

New Worker Arrivals    

10,375 new workers arrived in Canada throughout February. This represents the lowest number of Temporary Foreign Worker Program participants (2,045) since data collection began. There were also 8,330 arrivals through the International Mobility Program, the second-lowest number of arrivals through the program since December 2025.  

Breakdown by Stream    

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) 
2,045 arrivals in February 2026 
2,675 arrivals in January 2026  
 International Mobility Program (IMP) 
8,330 arrivals in February 2026 
9,175 arrivals in January 2026 
 

Similar to the trend with international students, IRCC is also cutting back on the number of temporary workers entering Canada. Under the 2026 Immigration Levels Plan, the target is 230,000 worker arrivals, including 60,000 through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and 170,000 through the International Mobility Program.  

Early data suggests this reduction is already underway. In February 2025, there were 14,365 new worker arrivals, indicating a noticeable drop as 2026 begins.  

As with students, IRCC also fell short of its 2025 goal for workers. The target was 367,750 new arrivals, but the actual figure reached only 209,105.  

Temporary Residents to Permanent Residents    

Along with data on temporary resident arrivals, IRCC says that more than 31,860 temporary residents became permanent residents between January and February 2026, or approximately 60% of all new permanent resident admissions for the month.  

So far this year, IRCC is on track to transition a higher percentage of TRs to PRs than we saw in previous years: 44% in 2024 and 48% in 2025.   

The increase to 60% points at IRCC’s stated objective to prioritize TRs who are already living and working in Canada for permanent residence.  

We can expect details soon about an IRCC program that will help temporary residents become permanent residents over the next two years. IRCC has already started implementing the measure from the 2026 Levels Plan that aims to transition up to 33,000 temporary residents to permanent status. That said, it’s still not clear which individuals are being chosen or which immigration pathways they are entering through. We do know they will require Canadian work experience and will not be selected from any of the country’s large cities.  

What Does this Mean for Newcomers?  

For newcomers, the overall picture is a bit mixed—it’s getting harder to come to Canada temporarily, but there may be more opportunities to stay permanently if you’re already here.  

The data shows a consistent decline in both study permit and work permit arrivals, reflecting IRCC’s deliberate effort to reduce the overall number of temporary residents. For prospective newcomers, it means fewer opportunities, increased competition, and likely stricter eligibility criteria for those applying from outside Canada.   

We know it’s not a short-term shift—Canada is actively working to reduce the number of temporary residents to under 5% of the population by 2027, and current trends suggest it may reach that goal ahead of schedule.  

On the other hand, there is a growing advantage for those who are already in Canada. A larger share of permanent residence admissions is now going to temporary residents transitioning to permanent status, with around 60% of new permanent residents in early 2026 coming from within Canada.  

Ultimately, it may be harder to enter Canada initially, but those who do make it in could have stronger opportunities to stay long-term.