From a report by Immigration Canada (IRCC): the number of international students in the state fell sharply in the first half of 2025. In just the first 8 months of this year, fewer than 90,000 foreigners arrived in Canada, a drop of as much as 60% compared to last year.
Experts call the reasons for the negative dynamics new laws on the part of the government, which is actively reducing the number of temporary residents of the country. The new migration restrictions jeopardize the achievement of the goal of issuing 437,000 study visas during 2025. It is strange that this quantitative bar was set by the government itself, but at the same time it seeks to reduce the total number of foreigners in Canada below the 5% mark.
Some experts see this approach as an attempt to reduce public discontent with the influx of migrants: for example, immigration consultant Matthew MacDonald called the published figures a kind of test that allows the government to test the reaction of the population to the decline in the number of immigrants. However, Canadian universities do not share these new political views, as they face serious financial problems due to the decline in the number of foreign students. A significant share of the income of universities and colleges depends on the budget, which is calculated based on the established quotas for the issuance of educational visas.
As a result, there is a risk that the Canadian government will face pressure from educational institutions, especially given the role of international students in the country's economy. In 2022 alone, foreign students brought almost CA$ 40 billion to Canadian regions: then this helped to solve the problem of personnel shortages and promoted cultural exchange.
However, experts do not see the prerequisites for reverse changes and believe that the Canadian authorities will maintain strict control over the number of newly issued permits to study and work in Canada in the coming years.
