Study Permits Update — May 25, 2026
Monday, May 25, 2026
Effective January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at publicly-funded designated learning institutions (DLIs) are exempt from the provincial/territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) requirement for study permit applications.
New IRCC instructions effective February 6, 2026 allow students in joint programs spanning multiple DLIs or provinces to submit only a single PAL/TAL, replacing the previous requirement for one per institution.
Canada's 2026 study permit issuance target is 408,000 (including 155,000 for newly arriving international students), down 7% from the 2025 target of 437,000 and 16% from the 2024 target of 485,000.
What You Should Do
- If you are applying for a master's or doctoral program at a public DLI in Canada, confirm your institution appears on IRCC's list of eligible public DLIs (to be published at canada.ca) — if it does, you do not need to obtain a PAL/TAL before applying.
- If you are a joint-program applicant studying across multiple institutions or provinces, obtain only one PAL/TAL from your primary DLI under the February 6, 2026 updated instructions — check the updated guidelines at canada.ca/study-permits.
- If you are restoring your student status, note that you still need a new PAL/TAL even under the updated rules — confirm this requirement at canada.ca before submitting a restoration application.
- Prospective undergraduate international students should apply early: the 2026 cap allows only 155,000 new arrivals, a 16% reduction from 2024 targets, meaning provincial attestation letters may be limited.
Sources
Topics Covered
International Student Cap Reduction: The 2026 study permit issuance target of 408,000 is 7% below 2025 and 16% below 2024, with only 155,000 slots for newly arriving international students.
Graduate Student PAL Exemption: As of January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement; February 2026 instructions also simplified PAL/TAL rules for joint-program students.
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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