Last Updated On 15 April 2025, 8:39 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

Canada, a top destination for international students, workers, and visitors, has tightened its immigration policies to better manage population growth.

If you’re planning to move to or visit Canada, you need to know what’s happening with these new changes.

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada rejected approximately 2.36 million temporary resident applications in 2024.

This move seems to be part of an effort to ease the strain on housing, infrastructure, and public services like healthcare.

What’s Behind the New Policy?

The Canadian government wants to better manage its population and resources.

Since the post-COVID period, the number of temporary residents has spiked, putting pressure on housing, hospitals, and other services.

To address this, Canada has introduced stricter immigration rules to control the inflow of newcomers.

Which Visas Were Hit Hardest?

The rejections affected three main visa categories:

Visitor Visas: About 1.95 million applications were denied, a significant jump from 2023’s rejection rate of roughly 40%.
Study Permits: Around 290,317 international student applications were turned down in 2024, higher than the previous year.
Work Permits: Approximately 115,549 work permit applications were rejected.

Why Is Canada Doing This?

Preventing Overstays: Some visitors were staying in Canada longer than allowed. Immigration officials are now scrutinizing applications closely to weed out those with unclear intentions.
Managing Student Programs: The IRCC found that nearly 50,000 international students weren’t actually studying. To fix this, Canada set a cap on study permits and introduced tougher rules, like requiring proof of financial stability.
Balancing Labour Needs: While Canada relies on foreign workers in sectors like healthcare, construction, and tourism, the government is reducing approvals to maintain balance.

International students are feeling the impact of these changes.

In 2024, Canada limited the number of study permits and added strict requirements, like proving you can support yourself financially.

If you don’t meet these standards, your application could be rejected. As a result, some students are now looking at universities in other countries.

How Will This Affect Canada’s Economy?

Experts say the policy has pros and cons:

Positive Impacts: Fewer temporary residents could ease pressure on housing and healthcare, potentially lowering wait times and rent prices.
Challenges: Canada’s aging population and labour shortages could create issues if too few workers are allowed in. Some industries might struggle to find enough staff.

Immigration Processing Update For 2025

IRCC has been managing over 2 million applications at any given point in 2025 across all the categories, including citizenship, permanent residence, and temporary visas.

As per the most recent update, there are 947,200 temporary residence applications under processing.

Out of these, 532,700 are being processed within normal processing times, while 414,500 have exceeded usual processing times and are in backlog.

In the first 2 months of 2025, IRCC finalized 112,572 study permit applications, including study permit extensions, as well as 260,431 applications for work permits and work permit extensions.

IRCC is projecting that 38% of the overall temporary residence applications will still be in backlog at the end of April 2025.

What’s Next?

For now, getting into Canada will remain challenging. The application process is stricter, and mistakes are less likely to be overlooked.

By 2026, the Great White North plans to further reduce temporary residents, so expect even tougher rules ahead.

The country is still a dream destination for many, but the path to getting there has become much harder.

Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, or work permit, make sure your application is thorough and well-prepared. Stay informed and good luck!

Gagandeep Kaur Sekhon

Gagandeep Kaur Sekhon moved to Canada in 2010 on a study visa. She navigated through the ups and downs of her student life and gained her permanent residency in 2015. Today, she is a proud Canadian citizen residing in Calgary, Alberta. She is mother of 2 beautiful daughters and making her difference through writing and guidance at INC – Immigration News Canada.