Canada is on track to exceed its 2025 target for new permanent residents, even as recent data highlights significant mid-year declines across several immigration categories, Maple News reports. According to newly released statistics from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the country welcomed 207,650 new permanent residents in the first half of 2025—a noticeable drop from 255,950 in the same period of 2024 and 263,425 in 2023.
Despite the slower intake, projections show that Canada may still surpass its official goal of 395,000 permanent residents by the end of the year, potentially reaching around 415,000. The figures suggest that while immigration flows are cooling in some areas, permanent settlement remains robust.
The release of these figures comes after months of delay, causing criticism from opposition parties and immigration experts. The IRCC’s decision to halt monthly data updates after March 2025 sparked accusations of transparency lapses. Opposition MP Michelle Rempel Garner went so far as to claim the federal government was “hiding figures that Canadians deserve to see.” Officials, however, attribute the delay to changes in data presentation formats.
Work permit trends reveal more dramatic changes. The International Mobility Program (IMP), which allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), saw a substantial drop. Only 302,280 IMP permits were issued in the first half of 2025—down from 410,825 during the same period in 2024 and 377,650 in 2023. The decline aligns with recent government efforts to tighten control over temporary resident intake.
In contrast, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)—which requires an LMIA and is used to fill labor market shortages—remained more consistent. With 105,195 permits issued in the first six months of 2025, the numbers are only slightly below those of 2024 (109,310) and 2023 (111,985). The TFWP continues to support sectors facing critical labor shortages, such as agriculture, caregiving, and construction.
Student immigration has seen the steepest decline. Canada granted 149,860 study permits in the first half of 2025, marking a 39% decrease from 245,055 a year earlier. The downturn follows federal reforms designed to address housing affordability and reduce strain on healthcare and other public services. Observers argue that the government’s delay in reporting these figures may have prevented timely policy debate.
While permanent residency admissions remain strong, the drop in work and study permits signals a shift in Canada’s immigration priorities for 2025. The government appears to be focused on managing temporary resident numbers while maintaining long-term immigration commitments to support economic growth and labour market demands.
With mid-year data now public, conversations are once again swirling around the degree of transparency in Canadian immigration policy. As the year progresses, the federal government will need to balance political pressure, public expectations, and demographic goals while responding to infrastructure strains linked to population growth.
Maple News will continue to monitor immigration trends closely as Canada adjusts its policies ahead of 2026, when further reforms are expected.