Canada Finalizes 2026 International Student Cap and Allocations

Shiwangi Srivastava
[Published 02 Dec, 2025 | 06:28 AM]
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The federal government has officially announced the details of the 2026 International Student Cap, setting the national target at issuing 408,000 Canada study permits. This figure marks a further 7% reduction from the 2025 issuance target.

This is part of Canada's ongoing strategy to stabilize the growth of its temporary resident population and improve the integrity of the international student program.

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National Target and Policy Goals

The 408,000 permits for 2026 include an expected 155,000 new arrivals and 253,000 extensions for current students. This measure is a key step towards the government's commitment to reducing the share of Canada's temporary population to below 5% of the total population by the end of 2027.

The cap, introduced in 2024, has already led to a decrease in the number of study permit holders from over 1 million to approximately 725,000 by late 2025. The new calibrated targets aim to continue this trend while still attracting highly skilled individuals to meet Canada's long-term economic and social goals.

Primary Exemption for Graduate Students

A significant policy change for 2026 is the exemption, effective January 1, 2026, of Master's and Doctoral level students enrolled at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) from the requirement to submit a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit application.

This exemption is designed to streamline the process for high-value talent who are seen as unique contributors to Canada's economic growth and innovation.

Other groups remaining exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement include:

• New primary and secondary (K-12) students.
• Certain government priorities and vulnerable cohorts.
• Existing study permit holders applying for an extension at the same DLI and level of study.

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Provincial Allocation Breakdown

The cap primarily impacts applicants who require a PAL/TAL, for whom IRCC expects to issue up to 180,000 study permits. These permits are distributed across provinces and territories based on population.

To account for application refusal rates, the total number of available spaces for provinces and territories to distribute to their DLIs is set higher, at 309,670, for PAL/TAL-required cohorts.

Provinces are responsible for allocating their assigned application spaces to their designated learning institutions.

Key Allocations for PAL/TAL-Required Applications (Top 4):

Provinces like Ontario PNP and British Columbia, which have historically high international enrollment, will continue to face pressure to manage intake carefully, particularly in programs below the Master's level, which still require the PAL/TAL.

The new framework strongly encourages institutions to prioritize graduate programs and those that lead to stronger labour market outcomes.

Source: canada.ca