Canada announced on Wednesday a significant reduction in the number of international student permits for the upcoming year, alongside stricter regulations for foreign workers.

This decision is part of the government’s efforts to manage record immigration levels, which have pushed the country’s population beyond 41 million.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration has cited the pressures on housing, the job market, and social services as reasons for these changes. Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized that coming to Canada is a privilege, not a right.

In 2025, Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits, a decrease from 485,000 this year and over 500,000 in 2023.

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The government will also impose new restrictions on work permits for the spouses of some international students and foreign workers and will enhance visa checks to reduce fraudulent asylum claims.

Additionally, Ottawa aims to lower the percentage of temporary residents in the population to five percent, down from 6.8 percent earlier this year.