Canada recorded an 89.9 percent drop in study permit holders and a 67.9 percent decline in work permit holders in December 2025 compared to December 2023, according to government immigration data. The number of study permit holders fell from 95,320 in December 2023 to just 9,665 in December 2025. Work permit holders declined from 30,325 to 9,735 over the same period — marking one of the sharpest contractions in temporary resident inflows in recent years.
The data shows that in December 2023, Canada had 95,320 study permit holders and 30,325 work permit holders.
By December 2024, the numbers had already fallen significantly. Study permit holders dropped to 29,835 — a fall of 65,485 compared to 2023. This represents a 68.7 per cent decline. Work permit holders fell to 16,560 in December 2024, down by 13,765 from 2023 — a 45.4 per cent decline from 2023 levels.
The fall deepened in 2025. In December 2025, the number of study permit holders stood at just 9,665. Compared to December 2023, this is a reduction of 85,655 permits — an 89.9 per cent drop.
Work permit holders in December 2025 were recorded at 9,735. This marks a decline of 20,590 compared to December 2023, translating into a 67.9 per cent fall.
In simple terms, Canada now has roughly one-tenth the number of new study permit holders it had two years ago, and just under one-third the number of work permit holders compared to 2023.
How it fared these last three years
The decline did not happen in a single year. Between December 2023 and December 2024 alone, study permit numbers dropped from 95,320 to 29,835 — a fall of nearly 70 per cent in just one year.
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From December 2024 to December 2025, the numbers shrank further from 29,835 to 9,665 — another drop of over 67 per cent within a year.
Work permits followed a similar but slightly less steep pattern. From 30,325 in December 2023, they fell to 16,560 in December 2024, and then further to 9,735 in December 2025.
The figures reflect a sustained tightening of temporary resident inflows over two consecutive years.
Canada eyes AI for faster processing, announces strategy
Amid this changing immigration landscape, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published its first-ever artificial intelligence strategy.
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The strategy lays out guiding principles and identifies how AI will be used within the department. According to IRCC, AI systems will be:
–Human-centred and accountable
–Transparent and explainable
–Fair and equitable
–Secure and privacy-protecting
–Valid and reliable
The department says AI could help reduce processing times and improve anti-fraud measures. For instance, computer vision tools could be used for real-time fraud detection in applications.
How will Canada use AI in immigration?
IRCC has created a framework to classify how AI will be deployed:
Everyday use: This refers to administrative tasks that are not part of decision-making. Examples include summarising documents, triaging applications, and responding to client enquiries.
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Program use: In this category, AI informs program operations. This could include data analysis, providing assessments to officers, and flagging straightforward, low-risk files for expedited decisions.
Experimental use: This includes pilot projects and limited trials to test new AI capabilities before broader rollout.
Importantly, IRCC has stated that refusals will always be made by human officers. The department maintains that AI tools do not refuse or recommend refusing any applications.’
What is Quaid chatbot?
One existing AI-enabled tool already in use is Quaid, a rules-based chatbot that responds to web-based enquiries about IRCC programs and services.
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Quaid was trained using real client questions and is continuously updated. It can answer approximately 80 per cent of the questions it receives with pre-programmed responses, without human intervention. According to the department, this has helped reduce workload at the Client Support Centre while improving response times for applicants.
Building on tools like Quaid, IRCC plans to integrate AI into its Digital Platform Modernization programme. The aim is to provide more individualised and intuitive services.
