IRCC Confirms 408,000 Study Permit Limit for 2026 Under New Immigration Plan
Under its revised immigration plan, Canada intends to reduce the number of study visas to 408,000 in 2026. The change attempts to regulate temporary resident numbers while reducing regulations for graduate students, who will no longer need attestation letters from provinces.
As part of its strategy to lower the number of temporary residents in the nation, Canada will further cut the number of overseas study permits in 2026. By the end of 2027, the percentage of temporary residents is to be reduced to less than 5%.
The government initially imposed an annual student cap in 2024, which immediately led to a large decline in the number of overseas students, from over one million in early 2024 to roughly 725,000 by September 2025.
Study Permit Targets for 2026
As to the latest release statistics for the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) proposes to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026.
This comprises:
155,000 new international students' study permits
253,000 extensions for current or returning students
That’s around 7% lower than 2025 and 16% below the 2024 target.
Category Expected Permits (2026)
New arrivals 155,000 In-Canada extensions 253,000 Total 408,000
The IRCC claims that the reason for the reduced numbers is to control growth while maintaining the International Student Program's alignment with Canada's priorities.
Attestation letters are not required for master's and doctoral students.
Master's and doctorate students at publicly designated learning institutions (DLIs) will no longer require a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) in order to apply for a study permit as of January 1, 2026.
This exemption highlights how graduate research contributes to innovation and Canada’s long-term development.
A full list of qualifying public DLIs will be provided soon.
PAL/TAL-Exempt Group Status: New exemption for master's and doctorate students at public DLIs
Primary and secondary (K–12) studentsExempt Government priority and disadvantaged groupsExempt Current permit holders renewing at the same DLI and level Exempt Breakdown of Study Permit Targets by Student Group
Student CohortPAL/TAL RequirementPlanned Permits (2026)
Master’s & doctorate students (public DLIs)Exempt 49,000 Primary & secondary school pupilsExempt 115,000 Additional exempt candidates64,000 PAL/TAL-required applications are exempt.Needed: 180,000 Total: 408,000
Provincial Allocations for PAL/TAL-Required Students
Out of the 180,000 PAL/TAL-required licenses, allocations depend on each province or territory’s population and historical approval rates. Ontario and Quebec receive the highest shares since they have the most institutions and students.
Province/Territory 2026 Issuance Goal British Columbia 21,582 Alberta24,786
Manitoba 6,534 New Brunswick3,726 Newfoundland and Labrador2,358 Northwest Territories 198
Nova Scotia4,680 Nunavut 180 Ontario70,074 Quebec 39,474 Prince Edward Island 774
Saskatchewan5,436 Yukon 198
Total 180,000
Application Spaces for 2026
Canada will accept a maximum of 309,670 study permit applications from PAL/TAL-required students in 2026. These statistics are based on each region’s average approval rate from 2024–2025.
Application Spaces by Province or Territory (2026)
Alberta 32,271
British Columbia32,596
11,196 Manitoba
The New Brunswick8,004 Labrador and Newfoundland5,507 Northwest Territories 785
Nova 8,480 Scotia 0 Nunavut Ontario104,780 Prince Edward Island 1,376
Quebec 93,069
Saskatchewan11,349 Yukon 257 Total 309,670
What Students Should Know About This
In order to relieve demand on housing, schools, and local resources, Canada has decided to reduce the number of overseas study permits. But it also means there will still be fierce competition for licenses.
Students who intend to study in Canada in 2026 should apply as soon as possible, confirm their institutional eligibility, and keep up with any changes regarding PAL/TAL exemptions.
