Study Permits

Study Permits Update — July 6, 2026

Monday, July 6, 2026

Canada will issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026 — 7% fewer than 2025 (437,000) and 16% fewer than 2024 (485,000) — continuing the push to reduce temporary residents below 5% of Canada's total population by end of 2027.

Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) no longer need to submit a Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit application.

Of the 408,000 permits expected in 2026, 155,000 are for newly arriving international students and 253,000 are extensions for current or returning students.

What You Should Do

  • If you are applying for a master's or doctoral program at a public DLI starting in 2026, confirm your school appears on IRCC's list of eligible public DLIs (to be published at canada.ca) before submitting your study permit application — you will not need to obtain a PAL/TAL.
  • If you are an undergraduate or college-level international student, check whether your province/territory has remaining PAL/TAL allocation for 2026 before applying, as the overall cap of 155,000 new student permits is tighter than prior years. Monitor your provincial immigration authority's website for allocation announcements.
  • If you are a current study permit holder planning to extend, confirm your extension falls within the 253,000 extension slots for 2026 by reviewing IRCC's study permit extension guidelines at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/extend-study-permit.html.

Sources

  1. 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap - Canada.caOfficial
  2. Applying to Canada in 2026? Two study-permit changes international students need know - The Times of India
  3. Canada study permit, IRCC international students cap - BBC News Pidgin

Topics Covered

International Student Cap ReductionGraduate Student PAL Exemption

International Student Cap Reduction: Canada has set a 2026 study permit issuance target of 408,000 — down 7% from 2025 and 16% from 2024 — as part of a sustained effort to shrink the temporary resident population to under 5% of Canada's total population by end of 2027.

Graduate Student PAL Exemption: Effective January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement when applying for a study permit, simplifying the application process for graduate-level applicants.

More Study Permits Updates

Study Permits Update — July 16, 2026

Jul 16, 2026

Study Permits Update — July 13, 2026

Jul 13, 2026

Study Permits Update — July 9, 2026

Jul 9, 2026

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