Canada caps new international student arrivals at 1.5 lakh annually until 2029

Canada will allow up to 1.5 lakh new international students to enter the country annually between 2027 and 2029, maintaining restrictions on temporary immigration to ease pressure on housing and public services.

According to the latest Immigration Levels Plan released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the government has set an annual target of 3.7 lakh new temporary resident arrivals. Of these, 1.5 lakh places will be allocated to international students and 2.2 lakh to temporary foreign workers.

The student target is 5,000 lower than the 2026 target of 1.55 lakh. International students will account for around 40% of new temporary resident arrivals, while foreign workers will make up the remaining 60%.

The government has also set an annual arrival range of 3.55 lakh to 3.85 lakh, allowing flexibility in immigration planning.

The targets apply only to new arrivals and exclude study permit extensions and applications from people already living in Canada. They do not guarantee admission to colleges or universities. Applicants must still meet institutional admission requirements, demonstrate sufficient financial resources and fulfil study permit conditions.

Alongside student arrivals, Canada will allocate 1.7 lakh places to foreign workers under the International Mobility Program and 50,000 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

The government has also maintained its permanent resident admission target at 3.8 lakh annually between 2027 and 2029.

Economic immigration will account for 2,44,700 admissions each year, followed by family reunification with 81,000. Another 49,300 places will be allocated to refugees and protected persons, while 5,000 will fall under humanitarian and other categories.

Canada also plans to increase the share of French-speaking permanent residents settling outside Quebec. The target will rise from 9.5% in 2027 to 10.5% in 2028 and 12% in 2029.