Canada’s August 2025 Immigration Numbers: Insightful Data Before Levels Plan

While August typically marks the peak of the academic intake for international students, this year’s numbers show that even the busiest month of the year couldn’t match the pre-2025-policy-shift highs seen in 2024. Still, the data shows the shifting dynamics of Canada’s temporary resident landscape as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues its transparency push through monthly updates. 

Key Takeaways from August 2025 Data 

• Student new arrivals rebounded to 45,380, the highest monthly total of 2025, though still 43% below August 2024. 
• Work permit arrivals dipped to 16,890, slightly lower than July, reflecting seasonal and policy-related slowdowns. 
• Overall arrivals from January–August were 278,900 fewer than in 2024. 
• TR-to-PR transitions eased to 16,700 in August, down from 23,000 in July, after a mid-year surge. 

International Student Arrivals: Big Month, Smaller Peak 

As expected, August 2025 saw the largest wave of international student arrivals so far this year – 45,380 new arrivals, bringing the year-to-date total to 89,485. 

That means as many students arrived in August alone as during the entire January–July period. The late-summer spike reflects typical academic timelines as students land to start programs in late August or early September. 

Still, the volume represents just 57% of August 2024’s total, when nearly 80,000 new students arrived. Policy shifts, processing delays, and higher refusal rates continue to shape this year’s intake. 

New student arrivals each month of 2025:  

Work Permit Arrivals: Seasonal Slowdown Continues 

Canada welcomed 16,890 new work permit holders in August 2025, bringing the year-to-date total to 154,630. 

That’s a modest drop from July (18,500) and aligns with typical late-summer slowdowns, especially in sectors like hospitality and agriculture, where hiring tends to peak earlier in the season. 

However, the broader trend remains clear: Canada’s work permit arrivals have flattened significantly compared to 2024. With continued scrutiny on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and other streams, policymakers appear intent on easing growth of this cohort.  

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of arrivals:

Total Temporary Resident Population 

By the end of August 2025, IRCC data shows a total of 2,292,070 temporary residents in Canada, broken down as follows:  

• 514,540 study permit holders 
• 1,489,645 work permit holders 
• 287,885 holding both permits 

This is a net increase of 12,245 temporary residents in Canada compared to July 2025.

The total of 2,292,070 temporary residents in August 2025 represents roughly 5.5% of Canada’s population (41.65 million).  

According to official IRCC communications from September 2024, temporary residents made up about 6.5% of Canada’s population at that time. Twelve months later, that figure has dropped to 5.5%, marking real progress toward the government’s target. However, to meet the 2026 benchmark, a further reduction of roughly 200,000 temporary residents will still be needed over the next year. 

TR to PR Transitions: Slower Month After July Surge 

After a strong showing in July, when over 23,000 temporary residents gained permanent status, August saw a decline to about 16,700 new PR transitions. 

That brings the January–August 2025 total to over 139,700, compared to 123,000 as of July. 

This statistic is particularly noteworthy when viewed alongside the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan, which set an economic immigration target of 232,150 for the year. Eight months in, roughly 139,000 of those permanent residency spaces have already been filled by individuals transitioning from temporary status within Canada. 

While not all of these transitions would have taken place through economic programs, some likely occurred via family sponsorship or humanitarian pathways, the figures nonetheless suggest that a significant share of this year’s permanent resident admissions will go to in-Canada applicants. 

We’ll break down the September 2025 numbers as soon as they’re released. Want the update first? Join our free newsletter to get every analysis and data breakdown delivered straight to your inbox.