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Cheryl Arcibal

Mainland Chinese immigrants were estimated to have bought as much as C$5.7 billion (US$4 billion) worth of homes in Canada last year, making them a key group of non-local investors propping up the residential property market, according to one estimate.
Ottawa barred most foreigners from purchasing homes in 2023 to cool soaring prices, initially imposing the restriction for two years before extending it until 2027.
The ban, however, exempted students, foreign workers and permanent residents.
“A citizen of China or any other country who becomes a Canadian PR [permanent resident] is, for property-buying purposes, no longer foreign,” said Daniel Ho, managing director at Juwai IQI, a property portal with 7 million listings from 111 countries. “They can buy a home like anyone else. After all, they need a place to live.”
In 2025, mainland China was the fourth-largest source of new permanent residents in Canada, with 21,115 arrivals. India was the largest source with 98,830, followed by the Philippines with 25,230 and Cameroon with 22,925, according to official data.
The year before, India was the top source with 127,320 new permanent residents, followed by the Philippines with 32,300 and China with 29,950.
“Despite its ban on foreign buyers, Canada has left the door open for foreign-national permanent residents to buy homes,” Ho said. “And rightly so. Permanent residents have been lawfully and permanently welcomed into the country. They need a roof over their heads, too.”
Housing plays a critical role in Canada’s economy. Residential investment supported more than 1.2 million jobs in 2025 and generated C$152 billion in gross domestic product, according to Statistics Canada, the central statistical agency.
Based on the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) estimated national average home price of C$677,000 in 2025, if a quarter of new Chinese permanent residents bought a home rather than rented, they would have snapped up C$3.6 billion worth of homes.
At 30 per cent, the figure would have risen to C$4.3 billion, and at 40 per cent it would have been C$5.7 billion, Ho said.
“We don’t know if any of these conform to reality. Perhaps only 5 per cent or even 1 per cent actually purchase in the first year after becoming permanent residents. We don’t have the data,” Ho said.
“The key fact is that Canada is an immigrant nation, and buyers who hold permanent residency inevitably play a role in the housing market.”
Property agents sold 470,314 residential units in 2025, 1.9 per cent lower than in 2024, according to CREA.


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Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada


Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada.


Chinese immigrants emerge as pivotal players in Canada’s property market amid foreign ban

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada

Chinese permanent residents, exempted from the ban, are estimated to have bought US$4 billion worth of homes last year in Canada