The federal government has announced the 2026 allocations under Canada’s international student cap, continuing its efforts to manage the country’s temporary population and support sustainable immigration growth.
Introduced in 2024, the international student cap limits the number of study permit applications Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept each year. Since its implementation, the number of study permit holders in Canada has fallen from over 1 million in January 2024 to approximately 725,000 by September 2025.
Next year, IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 for new international students and 253,000 extensions for current students, a decrease of 7% from 2025 and 16% from 2024.
In a key change for 2026, master’s and doctoral students enrolling at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) will no longer need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit applications. This exemption also applies to primary and secondary students, certain priority groups, and existing students renewing at the same DLI and study level.
The expected distribution of study permits for 2026 is as follows:
- Master’s and doctoral students (PAL/TAL-exempt): 49,000
- Primary and secondary students (PAL/TAL-exempt): 115,000
- Other PAL/TAL-exempt applicants: 64,000
- PAL/TAL-required applicants: 180,000
- Total: 408,000
For applicants requiring a PAL/TAL, provincial and territorial allocations have been calculated based on population and historical approval rates. Ontario leads with 104,780 application spaces, followed by Quebec with 93,069, and British Columbia with 32,596. Smaller jurisdictions like Yukon and Northwest Territories receive 257 and 785 spaces respectively.
A total of 309,670 study permit application spaces will be available under the cap for PAL/TAL-required students in 2026. Each province and territory is responsible for distributing their allocated spaces among their designated learning institutions.
IRCC emphasized that the cap is part of a broader strategy to reduce Canada’s temporary population to below 5% of the total population by 2027, while continuing to attract high-level talent through the International Student Program.
“By taking measured, responsible action, we can ensure Canada continues to benefit from the economic, academic, and social contributions of international students,” IRCC said.