Canada’s October 2025 Student and Worker Numbers

New international student arrivals fell to just 3,030 (the lowest since IRCC published data in late 2023), and work permit arrivals dipped again. And this isn’t happening in a vacuum: Statistics Canada has now reported the largest drop in non-permanent residents in recorded history, and Canada’s overall population actually shrank, something we basically never see outside the pandemic. 

Below is a breakdown of what October’s numbers show, and why they matter. 

Key Takeaways from October 2025 Data 

• New international student arrivals fell to just 3,030, the lowest monthly total since IRCC  published data which started data in December 2023. 

• Work permit arrivals declined again, landing at 14,585 for the month. 

• The total temporary resident population increased in October, suggesting decline in transitions or a rise in extensions are now offsetting the decline in new arrivals. 

• From January to October, more than 168,000 temporary residents became permanent residents, about 49% of all new PRs this year. 

International Student Arrivals: A Record Low 

October is usually quiet for student arrivals, but this year’s numbers stand out even by seasonal standards with only 3,030 new student arrivals. 

This is the lowest volume of new student arrivals recorded since IRCC made the data readily available (December 2023), and it isn’t a one-month anomaly. Every month of 2025 has been leading to this. October’s record-low arrival numbers are simply the most extreme expression of a trend that’s been building all year. 

What we’re seeing is the cumulative effect of the national study permit cap, tighter provincial allocations, and consistently higher refusal rates. 

At this point, student inflows are already well below where Ottawa’s future targets (155,000 for 2026) would require them to be.  

Here are the monthly student arrival numbers for 2025. 

Work Permit Arrivals: Cooling, but not Collapsing 

October brought 14,585 new worker arrivals, down again from September and well below 2024 levels, but still broadly aligned with the government’s targeted numbers for 2026. 

Breakdown by Stream 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
– 3,215 arrivals in October 

International Mobility Program (IMP)
– 11,370 arrivals in October 

Here are the monthly student arrival numbers for 2025. 

Total Temporary Resident Population 

The total number of temporary residents actually increased in October compared to September. 

– Students: 484,090
– Workers: 1,492,245
– Both study and work permits: 255,275 

Total: 2,231,610 temporary residents in October, up from 2,220,060 in September. 

So even though we’ve seen a decline in new students and workers in October compared to September 2025, that hasn’t translated into a decline in the total temporary resident population, at least not yet. 

That could mean one (or both) of the following is happening: 

• More in-Canada extensions are being issued (people are staying longer on renewed status rather than exiting Canada), and/or 

• Fewer students and workers are transitioning to PR (or transitioning more slowly), which keeps more people in the temporary resident pool for longer. 

The Bigger Picture: Population Decline Enters the Conversation 

This October update comes just after Statistics Canada reported the largest drop in non-permanent residents in recorded history. The decline was large enough to push Canada’s overall population into negative growth, something that hasn’t happened outside of the pandemic. 

That matters because it shows the federal government’s temporary resident policy changes are now having system-wide effects. This isn’t just about fewer study permits or work permits being issued, it’s about fewer people physically living in Canada. 

So why does this matter to newcomers? 

For starters, it confirms that Ottawa’s efforts to reduce temporary resident numbers are working. But the ripple effects go much further: 

• Fewer temporary residents means fewer taxpayers, at least in the short term 

• Housing markets may cool, especially in rental-heavy, student-driven cities 

• Labour market impacts will cut both ways – slower inflows could ease unemployment in some sectors while worsening labour shortages in others 

• Pressure on infrastructure may finally ease, particularly in healthcare systems that have struggled to keep up with rapid population growth 

None of this happens evenly, and none of it happens overnight. But October’s data suggests Canada has crossed an important threshold: immigration policy changes are no longer abstract.  They are now reshaping population trends, labour markets, and housing dynamics in measurable ways. 

TR-to-PR Transitions: Still the Backbone of Admissions 

From January through October 2025, over 168,000 temporary residents transitioned to permanent residence, accounting for about 49% of all new PRs so far this year. 

That share is edging down. In September, temporary residents accounted for about 50% of new permanent residents year-to-date, now it’s 49%. It’s a small shift, but it points to a gradual cooling in the pace of in-Canada transitions relative to overall PR admissions. 

Even with that dip, the takeaway hasn’t changed: a large share of permanent residency spots are being filled by people already living in Canada, a pattern that’s become central to how the system works, and one that’s likely to carry into 2026.