Canada recorded a 12.5 per cent drop in permanent residency admissions, falling to 147,260 between January and May 2026.
Indian nationals absorbed the hardest hit, accounting for over 57 per cent of the overall reduction in new permanent residents.
Admissions of Indian permanent residents declined by 24.8 per cent, dropping from 49,115 to 36,910 during the five-month period.
Indians Bear Brunt as Canada Permanent Residency Admissions Drop 12.5% in 2026
Canada's permanent residency admissions fell by 12.5% in early 2026, with Indian nationals accounting for over 57% of the total decline due to policy cutbacks.
Summary
Canada recorded a 12.5 per cent drop in permanent residency admissions during the first five months of 2026. Indian nationals accounted for more than 57 per cent of this overall reduction.
Data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showed total permanent resident admissions fell by 21,540 to 147,260 between January and May 2026. The country admitted 168,800 permanent residents during the same period in 2025.
Indian admissions experienced a 24.8 per cent decline over this timeframe. The number of Indian nationals securing permanent residency dropped from 49,115 to 36,910.
Deliberate Government Contraction
The sharp decrease reflects an ongoing policy shift. Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, addressed this dynamic.
"When the government sharply reduces a stream in which one country is disproportionately represented, that country inevitably absorbs a disproportionate share of the cut," Jedwab told National Post.
Jedwab said: "Canada has moved from rapid immigration expansion to a deliberate, government-driven contraction."
In the first quarter of 2026, Indians made up 48 per cent of the total decline. This trend accelerated over the subsequent two months.
The IRCC stated it plans to stabilise permanent residents to less than 1 per cent of the population beyond 2027. The organisation informed it will focus on granting status to individuals "already living in, working in, and contributing" to the country to return immigration to sustainable levels.
Tracking Historical Trends
The recent five-month contraction follows a broader annual decline. Total permanent residents fell 19 per cent from 483,655 in 2024 to 393,530 in 2025.
Indian nationals faced a significant reduction over the previous year. Their permanent residency admissions dropped from 127,375 in 2024 to 98,770 in 2025.
Prior to the current downward trajectory, Indian admissions saw massive growth. Numbers rose from 42,875 in 2020 to reach a peak of 139,790 in 2023.
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