Foreign Interest in Canadian Jobs Plummets Amid Stricter Immigration Policies
Research from Indeed Inc. shows that foreign job seeker interest in Canadian positions has fallen by more than half since its 2023 peak, coinciding with government caps on study permits and reduced work visa issuance for temporary residents.
Foreign job seeker interest in Canadian jobs has plummeted by more than half since reaching a peak in 2023, according to research from Indeed Inc. The decline coincides with the Canadian federal government's implementation of stricter temporary immigration policies.
The foreign share of all clicks on Canadian job postings dropped from eight per cent in 2023 to three per cent by September 2026. In January 2024, Canadian officials began capping international study permits with an aim for a 35 per cent reduction from 2023 levels. The government also reduced the issuance of work visas for temporary residents, while permanent immigration remained steady.
These policy shifts have affected population trends. As many as 308,000 non-permanent residents were added in a single quarter in 2023, but this group shrank in five of the seven quarters through mid-2026, with declines of nearly 80,000 per quarter. The changes are expected to result in tighter labour supply, slowing population growth, and potentially diminished spending, while easing localized pressures on housing and public services.
Industries heavily reliant on temporary workers—including accommodation, food services, retail, and agriculture—are expected to face labor shortages as a result.
The demographic composition of foreign job seekers has also shifted. Job seekers from the United States represented only 21 per cent of foreign clicks on Canadian jobs in the third quarter, down from 28 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Asia has been the largest source of foreign interest in Canadian jobs since the first quarter of 2018. The Indeed Inc. data covers job seeker activity across 254 countries and overseas territories.