Study Permits

Study Permits Update — June 1, 2026

Monday, June 1, 2026

Canada's 2026 international student cap allows up to 408,000 study permits to be issued (155,000 to new arrivals, 253,000 extensions), which is 7% lower than 2025 targets and 16% lower than 2024.

Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) no longer need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) to apply for a study permit.

Most other post-secondary students must still obtain a PAL/TAL from their province or territory before applying, keeping the cap and attestation process in place for undergraduate and college-level applicants.

What You Should Do

  • If you are applying for a master's or doctoral program at a public DLI in Canada, confirm your institution is on IRCC's eligible public DLI list (to be published at canada.ca/study-permit) before applying — you can submit without a PAL/TAL as of January 1, 2026.
  • If you are applying for an undergraduate or college-level study permit, contact your province or territory's immigration authority to request a PAL/TAL before submitting your IRCC study permit application, as this attestation letter is still required.
  • Check the 2026 provincial and territorial allocation breakdown published by IRCC at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/2026-provincial-territorial-allocations to understand how many study permits are available in your target province.

Sources

  1. 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap - Canada.caOfficial
  2. Canadian immigration officials move to ease rules around student work permits - ICEF Monitor
  3. Applying to Canada in 2026? Two study-permit changes international students need know - Times of India
  4. New visa rules for international students 2026: Canada - IDP

Topics Covered

International Student Cap ReductionGraduate Student PAL Exemption

International Student Cap Reduction: Canada's 2026 study permit issuance target is 408,000 — 7% below 2025 and 16% below 2024 — continuing a deliberate multi-year reduction. The number of study permit holders has already dropped from over 1 million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025.

Graduate Student PAL Exemption: As of January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement when applying for a study permit, in recognition of their contributions to Canada's economy and innovation.

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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