Canada: Temporary Cap on International Student Study Permits

Key Points 

• Canada introduced a temporary two-year intake cap on the number of international students permitted to apply for a study permit throughout 2024 and 2025 

Overview  

The government of Canada set a temporary intake cap on the number of international students granted student permit applications for the next two years. The 2024 student permit cap is set at 360,000. The government will divide the cap by province and territory and then distribute the allocation by learning institution. Provinces and territories will establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than 31 March 2024. 

Beginning 22 January 2024, every study permit application must include an attestation letter from a province or territory.  

The government will not include the following permit types in the cap number:

• Study permit renewals. 
• Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees and elementary and secondary education.
• Current study permit holders. 

According to the government, the reduction in study permits marks a decrease of 35% from 2023 and will help the country stabilize the number of students within the country each year.  

Looking Ahead  

Continue to check the government of Canada’s website and Envoy’s website for the latest updates and information.