Archive · 27 Jul 2026
Canada's Immigration Slowdown Hits Indians Hardest
Canada has decided to slow down the number of people who can become permanent residents.
This change has affected Indian applicants the most.
In the first five months of this year, the number of Indians getting permanent residency dropped by nearly 25%.
This is because Indians have always made up a big part of Canada's permanent resident intake.
The Canadian government wants to make sure immigration is sustainable and focuses on people already living and working in Canada.
This is a big change from the past few years when the number of Indian permanent residents was growing quickly.
Canada admitted 147,260 new permanent residents from January to May 2025, down from 168,800 in the same period in 2024.
Indian permanent residency admissions dropped by nearly 25% in the first five months of 2025.
Over 57% of the overall decline in permanent residents came from the drop in Indian admissions.
Canada aims to reduce immigration to sustainable levels, focusing on people already living and contributing to the country.
Indian permanent resident admissions had climbed from 42,875 in 2020 to a record 139,790 in 2023 before beginning to fall.
- Who
- Indian applicants and the Canadian government
- What
- Decline in permanent residency admissions
- When
- Between January and May 2025
- Where
- Canada
- Why
- Canada is reducing immigration to sustainable levels, and Indians make up a large share of the intake.
Immigration Reduction
Indian Applicants
Immigration Policy
Immigration Reduction
Canada is reducing immigration to sustainable levels.
Indian Applicants
Indian applicants are disproportionately affected due to their large share of the intake.
- Total Permanent Residents (Jan-May 2025)
- 147,260
- Total Permanent Residents (Jan-May 2024)
- 168,800
- Indian Permanent Residents (Jan-May 2025)
- 36,910
- Indian Permanent Residents (Jan-May 2024)
- 49,115
- Overall Decline in Permanent Residents
- 21,540
- Percentage of Decline from Indian Admissions
- 57%
- Total Permanent Residents in 2025
- 393,530
- Total Permanent Residents in 2024
- 483,655
- Indian Permanent Residents in 2025
- 98,770
- Indian Permanent Residents in 2024
- 127,375