International arrivals to Canada reached 6.9 million in August 2026, according to preliminary Statistics Canada data. That was a 4.3% increase from August 2025, with overseas-resident trips providing much of the growth.

The latest figures combine Canadian-resident return trips with arrivals by United States and overseas residents by air and automobile. Statistics Canada describes the release as a leading indicator, meaning the August figures are preliminary and complete counts will be released later.

Overseas Arrivals Lead the Increase

Overseas-resident trips to Canada increased 7.2% year over year in August.

Air travel accounted for the majority of overseas arrivals. About 670,100 overseas residents arrived by air, representing a 9.9% increase from August 2025.

By comparison, approximately 90,400 overseas residents arrived by automobile, down 9.1% from a year earlier.

Category	August 2026	Year-over-year change
Total international arrivals	6.9 million	+4.3%
Overseas-resident trips	760,464	+7.2%
Overseas arrivals by air	670,100	+9.9%
Overseas arrivals by automobile	90,400	-9.1%
U.S.-resident trips	2.43 million	+2.4%

These figures show that the overall increase was not evenly distributed across travel modes or traveller groups.

U.S. Resident Trips to Canada Also Increased

Trips to Canada by U.S. residents reached approximately 2.4 million in August, up 2.4% from August 2025.

This marked the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year growth in U.S.-resident trips.

U.S. residents made about 1.8 million trips to Canada by automobile, an increase of 1.0%, while air travel accounted for 629,600 trips, up 6.8%.

The figures provide a different picture from overseas travel, where air arrivals grew considerably faster than automobile arrivals.

Canadian Residents Also Travelled More From the United States

Canadian-resident return trips from the United States reached 2.6 million in August, up 8.8% from August 2025.

Statistics Canada said this was the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth.

However, the longer-term comparison is more mixed. Automobile return trips from the United States were 27.4% below August 2024 levels, while air return trips were 22.7% below their August 2024 level.

This illustrates why year-over-year increases should not automatically be interpreted as a full return to earlier travel volumes.

Gordie Howe International Bridge Records First Full Month

August was the first full month of operation for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which opened on July 27, 2026.

During August, the bridge handled:

• 134,900 Canadian-resident return trips from the United States by automobile
• 101,000 U.S.-resident trips to Canada by automobile
• 34,800 commercial transport truck entries into Canada

At Windsor’s other ports, commercial transport truck entries increased 0.4% from the same period a year earlier to 87,400.

The new crossing therefore became part of Canada’s international travel and commercial transportation data during its first full month.

Source: International arrivals to Canada, August 2026

What Does the International Arrivals Data Mean for Canada?

The August figures provide information about travel and cross-border movement rather than immigration admissions.

An international arrival is not the same thing as a new immigrant, permanent resident or study permit holder.

Travellers can enter Canada for many reasons, including tourism, business, family visits, education and other temporary purposes. Canadian residents returning from abroad are also included in the overall international arrivals figure.

The 6.9 million figure should not be described as the number of people immigrating to Canada.

Overseas Travel Remains An Important Component

The 7.2% annual increase in overseas-resident trips is notable because it occurred alongside a 9.9% increase in overseas arrivals by air.

At the same time, automobile arrivals from overseas residents declined 9.1%.

This difference reflects the nature of overseas travel, where air transportation is generally the principal method of reaching Canada from outside North America.

Statistics Canada cautions that its August release is preliminary. Complete counts are scheduled to be available with the October 22 release of Travel between Canada and other countries.

Statistics Canada Has Also Changed Data Coverage

The August release includes an important methodological note.

Statistics Canada can now integrate information about travellers processed through the NEXUS Highway system into its leading indicator. The agency says this improves data coverage at the Lansdowne port of entry.

Because of this enhancement, Statistics Canada advises users to exercise caution when comparing August 2026 and later data with earlier years.

That caveat matters when using the figures for trend analysis.

What Should Readers Take From the August Data?

The August data points to an increase in overall international arrivals compared with August 2025, but the underlying movements differ by traveller type and transportation method.

Overseas-resident arrivals increased strongly, U.S.-resident trips also grew, and Canadian-resident return trips from the United States increased. Meanwhile, Canadian-resident return trips from overseas continued to decline year over year.

For immigration professionals and prospective newcomers, the data is useful context but should not be confused with immigration admissions data.

People planning to Study in Canada, visit Canada or pursue Permanent Residence should rely on the rules and statistics that specifically apply to their immigration or temporary-residence category.

ImmigCanada immigration consulting services can help prospective applicants review their options with certified Canadian immigration consultant Eivy Joy Quito.

FAQs About International Arrivals to Canada