Canada announced on Wednesday that it will significantly reduce international student permits next year and implement stricter rules for foreign workers in an effort to lower the number of temporary residents in the country.
This decision follows recent measures aimed at curbing record immigration levels, which contributed to Canada’s population surpassing 41 million earlier this year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has attributed the high immigration rates to pressures on the housing market, job opportunities, and social services.
“It is a privilege to come to Canada. It is not a right,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a news conference.
In 2025, Ottawa plans to issue 437,000 study permits to international students, a reduction from 485,000 this year and over 500,000 in 2023.
Additionally, new restrictions will be imposed on work permits for the spouses of certain international students and foreign workers. The government will also increase scrutiny before issuing travel visas to curb the rise in fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.
Ottawa previously announced plans to lower the temporary resident population to five percent of the total population, down from 6.8 percent in April.