Canada admitted 20% fewer permanent residents in the first three months of the year, according to the figures highlighted in the report. The decline was paired with lower study permit volumes and fewer asylum claims, pointing to a broader slowdown across several immigration streams.
Nearly half of the drop in new permanent residents came from India, underscoring how strongly changes in one source country can affect the national total. The report also said study permits for Indian students have fallen 66% since 2023, adding to the shift in Canada’s overall intake.
Regionally, Ontario and British Columbia accounted for 81% of the national decline in permanent residents. Quebec moved in the opposite direction, with permanent resident admissions there rising 12% even as the national picture weakened.
The numbers suggest the slowdown has not been evenly distributed by province or immigration category. While national admissions were lower at the start of the year, Quebec posted growth and the biggest declines were concentrated in Ontario, British Columbia, and among arrivals connected to India.
