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Official figures · Pakistani citizens

Pakistanis moving to Canada: the official figures.

Canada’s immigration department counts how many Pakistani citizens become permanent residents and hold study and work permits. These are its numbers from 2015 to August 2026.

See the routes from Pakistan

At a glance

Pakistani citizens in 2025, the latest full year

Each figure compares 2025 with 2024.

Became permanent residents

8,890

down 26%

Study permits

3,245

down 17%

International Mobility work permits

2,835

down 18%

Temporary Foreign Worker permits

425

down 48%

2026 so far: January to August 2026

Pakistani citizens in the same months of 2025 and 2026
MeasureJan–Aug 2025Jan–Aug 2026Change
Became permanent residents6,2106,625+7%
Study permits2,0352,390+17%
Work permits: International Mobility Program1,8553,730+101%
Work permits: Temporary Foreign Worker Program2552550%

Added from IRCC’s monthly figures so both years compare like with like, which makes these approximate. They can differ slightly from IRCC’s own totals in the tables below.

These figures do not say why

IRCC publishes counts, not reasons. A rise or fall can follow changes in Canada’s targets, in who applies, or in how quickly files are processed, and these tables cannot separate those. We do not guess at causes here.

Permanent residence

Pakistani citizens who became permanent residents, by year

IRCC’s count of admissions, using its own annual totals.

Pakistani citizens admitted to Canada as permanent residents, by year
YearRelative sizeAdmittedChange
201511,300
201611,3500%
20177,655−33%
20189,490+24%
201910,795+14%
20206,230−42%
20218,480+36%
202211,600+37%
202311,860+2%
202411,960+1%
20258,890−26%
2026Jan–Aug only6,620Part year

How Pakistanis became permanent residents

The route each person was admitted under. Indented rows are the larger programmes within each group, so they do not add up to the group.

Pakistani citizens admitted as permanent residents, by immigration category
Route2023202420252026Jan–Aug only
Economic programmes4,9855,3603,6052,085
Skilled Worker1,7251,720815375
Canadian Experience590630635355
Provincial Nominee Program2,2352,3751,8301,215
Sponsored family4,4404,3603,8651,995
Spouse or partner3,4803,3602,7801,500
Parent or grandparent855840925420
Refugees and protected persons2,2202,1301,3802,510
All other2101154030
Total11,86011,9608,8906,620

Study

Pakistani citizens with a Canadian study permit, by year

People whose study permit took effect in that year. This is not the number of Pakistani students in Canada on any one day.

Pakistani citizens whose Canadian study permit took effect, by year
YearRelative sizeHoldersChange
20152,310
20162,545+10%
20172,040−20%
20182,055+1%
20192,165+5%
20201,590−27%
20213,325+109%
20223,945+19%
20234,730+20%
20243,890−18%
20253,245−17%
2026Jan–Aug only2,310Part year

Planning to study? What a study permit involves from Pakistan.

Work

Pakistani citizens with a Canadian work permit, by year

IRCC counts its two work permit programmes separately, and one person can appear in both, so the columns should not be added together.

Pakistani citizens whose Canadian work permit took effect, by year and programme
YearInternational Mobility ProgramTemporary Foreign Worker Program
20151,24580
20161,635130
20171,50095
20181,460125
20191,510135
20201,275125
20211,715140
20221,890340
20233,670785
20243,475820
20252,835425
2026Jan–Aug only3,680250

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program generally needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The International Mobility Program does not. How Canadian work permits work.

Reading the numbers

What these figures can’t tell you

They are not approval rates

They count people who were admitted, or whose permits took effect. These tables do not show how many people applied or were refused, so a refusal rate cannot be worked out from them.

They count citizenship, not address

A Pakistani citizen who applied from Dubai or Riyadh is counted here. Someone born in Pakistan who now holds another citizenship may not be.

They are rounded and can change

IRCC rounds every figure to the nearest 5 and hides anything from 0 to 5, shown here as 0–5. It calls the data preliminary, so earlier months can move in later releases, and parts may not add up to totals.

A permit is not an arrival

The tables do not say whether a permit is someone’s first or a renewal. One person can hold more than one permit in a period, so adding up the months can give more than the annual total.

Sources

Where this comes from, and how to cite it

IRCC’s tables

Figures run to August 2026 (IRCC data dated 31 August 2026), read from IRCC on 9 November 2026. We refresh this page after IRCC publishes new monthly tables. If anything here differs from IRCC’s tables, IRCC’s tables are right.

Using these figures

Please credit IRCC as the source and name the period. For example: “Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada open data, to August 2026, compiled by Tashfeen Immigration Solutions.”

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. IRCC has not reviewed or endorsed this page. Tashfeen Immigration Solutions is a private firm that helps people apply to Canada.

Straight answers

Questions about these figures

How many Pakistanis became permanent residents of Canada in 2025?
IRCC counts 8,890 Pakistani citizens admitted as permanent residents in 2025, down 26% on 11,960 in 2024. IRCC rounds these figures to the nearest 5 and calls them preliminary.
How many Pakistanis have become permanent residents in 2026 so far?
IRCC’s tables run to August 2026 and show 6,620 admissions of Pakistani citizens in 2026 so far. Adding up the same months for each year gives 6,210 in 2025 and 6,625 in 2026, up 7%.
How many Pakistani students hold Canadian study permits?
3,245 Pakistani citizens had a study permit take effect in 2025, down 17% on 2024. That counts permits taking effect in the year. It is not the number of Pakistani students in Canada on any one day.
How many Pakistanis receive Canadian work permits?
In 2025, 2,835 Pakistani citizens had a permit take effect under the International Mobility Program and 425 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. IRCC counts the two programmes separately, and one person can appear in both.
Do these figures show the visa refusal rate for Pakistan?
No. These tables count people admitted and permits that took effect. They do not show applications or refusals, so a refusal rate cannot be calculated from them.
Where do these numbers come from, and how often are they updated?
From the open data tables that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada publishes by country of citizenship. This page was last read from IRCC on 9 November 2026 and runs to August 2026. We refresh it after IRCC publishes new monthly tables. If anything here differs from IRCC’s tables, IRCC’s tables are right.

Your own file

A trend won’t decide your application

These figures describe everyone. An officer decides on your documents alone. Bring your history and you’ll get a free consultation and a written summary of where you stand. No one can guarantee a visa, and we won’t.

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