In an effort to further reduce the number of temporary residents in the nation, Canada said on Wednesday that it will be cutting back on international student permits for the following year and tightening regulations for foreign workers.

The action follows a number of recent rounds of limitations meant to rein in record immigration levels that earlier this year caused Canada's population to surpass 41 million.

The administration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that the nation's housing market, labour market, and social services are being strained as a result of the high immigration rate.

"It is a privilege to come to Canada. It is not a right," Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a news conference.

In 2025, Ottawa plans to issue 437,000 study permits to international students, down from 485,000 this year and more than 500,000 in 2023.

It is also putting new limits on work permits for spouses of some international students and foreign workers. And it will be stepping up checks before issuing travel visas to stem a spike in fraudulent or rejected asylum claims.

Ottawa has already said it would reduce the number of temporary residents to five percent of the population, down from 6.8 percent in April.