Canada’s Student and Worker Arrivals Hit New Lows in November

In November 2025, international student arrivals fell to 2,485 (another record-low, beating October’s earlier record). This is 3,500 fewer arrivals compared to November 2024.  

Work permits (for both temporary foreign workers and International Mobility Program participants) also dropped by 1,220 to 13,365. The data shows a significant shift from the same time last year, with 21,325 arrivals. 

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Key takeaways  

• There were 2,485 new student arrivals in November, another record low 

• There were 13, 365 Temporary Worker arrivals in November  

• 48% of new Permanent Residents between January and November were temporary residents, which is less than we saw in October.  

International Student Arrivals Dip Further in November  

November usually sees lower student arrival numbers as the fall semester wraps up, but the year-over-year decline in arrivals shows that IRCC’s plan to reduce the number of international students is starting to take effect.   

The overall target for student arrivals in 2025 was 305,900, and available data shows there were just 105,870 new student arrivals between January and November. Data for December is still pending, but it’s likely that IRCC managed to hit less than half of the 2025 target.  

It doesn’t necessarily mean there have been more refusals. For students, the reduction in arrivals may be a result of the new rules for post-secondary education institutions. Since 2024, the government has set a cap on the number of new student admissions for the year and allocates the number of new students each province can accept.  

December student arrivals may show a large uptick as students arrive in Canada for the January semester.  

Temporary Worker Arrivals  

November saw the lowest number of temporary worker arrivals in Canada since December 2023, building on October’s record low.  

Temporary Foreign Worker Program: 2615  

International Mobility Program: 10, 750  

Total: 13, 365  

The reduction in TFWP arrivals may in part stem from IRCC’s freeze on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for Census Metropolitan Areas with an unemployment rate exceeding 6%.   

Current Temporary Resident Breakdown  

Statistics Canada estimates that as of the fourth quarter of 2025 (October 1- Dec 31), there are 1.484,451 work permit holders and 477, 418 study permit holders in Canada. From the fourth quarter of 2024 to the same period in 2025, we see nearly 200, 000 fewer temporary residents.  

What do these Numbers Mean for Newcomers?  

The year-over-year drop in temporary resident arrivals signals that IRCC’s lower admission targets are starting to bear fruit.   

Admission targets for temporary residents were introduced in the 2024 Immigration Levels Plan in response to a population boom in previous year. The rapid growth caused by immigration put strain on Canada’s housing market and healthcare system.   

The data is still coming in, but overall, slowing the number of temporary resident arrivals seems to be helping to stabilize rents. According to Rentals.ca, rent prices have dropped 2.3% year-over-year as of January 2026, the lowest level in two and a half years.   

Reducing the number of temporary residents is a double-edged sword: newcomers already in Canada benefit from lower rents and housing prices but it can also lead to frustration for those still in the application process.   

Key Insight: The TR to PR Rate is Slowing Down 

Over 177,000 former temporary residents became permanent residents between January to November 2025. This means we saw around 9,000 temporary residents transition to permanent resident status since October.  

IRCC says this group accounted for about 48% of new permanent residents during that time, just under October’s estimate of 49%. This means that there are somewhat fewer temporary residents becoming permanent residents. 

Still, Canada is continuing to push for temporary resident to pursue PR.   

The Immigration Levels Plan for 2026 significantly increased the number of PNP admissions allocated to the provinces. The notional target for 2026 set out in the 2025 Plan showed a target of 55,000. The actual target for 2026 is 91,500. Most PNP applicants already live in Canada.  

In December, IRCC allocated 5,000  spaces to provinces to attract physicians with Canadian experience. 

There has also been a trend in Express Entry draws to issue more ITAs to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class. The first CEC draw of the year invited 8,000 candidates, while two draws in December 2025 totaled 11,000 ITAs.  

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