Study Permits Update — April 30, 2026
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Canada has set a national study permit cap of approximately 155,000 for 2026, and a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) is required for most public institution applicants — exceptions include Master's and PhD students at public universities, K-12 students, and those extending a degree at the same level.
Master's and doctoral students at public universities are officially exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement as of January 1, 2026, and spousal open work permits are only available to spouses of Master's, PhD, and select professional degree students.
Private 'licensed' colleges are not eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP), and PGWP-eligible fields of study have been updated — students must confirm their program qualifies before enrolling.
What You Should Do
- If applying to a public college or undergraduate program in Canada, obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from your province/territory before submitting your study permit application — without it, your application will not be accepted.
- If enrolling in a private college, verify at canada.ca/study-permit that your institution and program are PGWP-eligible before paying tuition, as private 'licensed' colleges do not qualify for PGWP.
- If you are a spouse of an international student, confirm your partner is enrolled in a Master's, PhD, or designated professional degree program before applying for a spousal open work permit — other program levels no longer qualify.
- Confirm your study program falls within updated PGWP-eligible fields of study on the IRCC website (canada.ca/pgwp) before accepting your offer of admission.
Sources
Topics Covered
International Student Cap Reduction: Canada's 2026 national study permit cap is set at approximately 155,000, down sharply from prior years, with PAL/TAL requirements now enforced for most public institution applicants and sharp declines in international student numbers reported.
Graduate Student PAL Exemption: Master's and doctoral students at public universities are formally exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement as of January 1, 2026, and this exemption is now integrated into IRCC's processing workflow rather than just policy guidance.
Student Work Authorization Simplification: Off-campus work is capped at 24 hours per week, spousal open work permits are restricted to spouses of Master's, PhD, and select professional degree students, and PGWP eligibility now depends on both institution type and updated field-of-study criteria.
More Study Permits Updates
Study Permits Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Study Permits Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Study Permits Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
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