Canada Introduces 2026 Allocations for International Students, Announces Number of Study Permits

• Canada announced new immigration levels for 2026, focusing on reducing temporary residents while balancing housing and healthcare needs
• The government confirmed that 408,000 study permits would be issued, marking a drop from previous years
• Officials stated that the changes aimed to bring sustainability to the immigration system and stabilise population growth

Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced new immigration levels plans covering 2026 to 2028.

The plan included an increase in the number of economic immigrants while reducing temporary residents, particularly through student visas.

Officials stated that Canada had entered a “phase of stabilisation” and explained that the focus was now on balancing population growth with housing, healthcare and infrastructure capacity.

The government confirmed that it aimed to welcome 380,000 permanent residents during this period, while reducing the temporary migrant population to under five percent of the total population by 2027.

Study permits reduced for 2026

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IRCC reported that for 2026, it expected to issue around 408,000 study permits. This figure included 155,000 permits for new international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students.

The number represented a seven percent drop compared to the 2025 target of 437,000 permits and a 16 percent decrease from the 2024 target of 485,000 permits.

Officials explained that the reduction was part of wider efforts to bring sustainability to the immigration system.

PAL/TAL exemption for certain groups

From January 1, 2026, students enrolled in master’s or doctoral programmes at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) would no longer be required to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) when applying for study permits.

IRCC confirmed that the PAL/TAL exemption would also apply to:

• Primary and secondary school students (kindergarten to grade 12)

• Certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts

• Existing study permit holders applying for extensions at the same DLI and level of study

Breakdown of study permits by cohort

The allocation of study permits for 2026 was outlined as follows:

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• 49,000 master’s and doctoral students at public DLIs (PAL/TAL-exempt)

• 115,000 primary and secondary school students (PAL/TAL-exempt)

• 64,000 other PAL/TAL-exempt applicants

• 180,000 PAL/TAL-required applicants

Provincial and territorial allocations for PAL/TAL-required permits

The 180,000 study permits requiring PAL/TAL would be distributed across provinces and territories based on population. The allocations were:

• Alberta - 21,582
• British Columbia - 24,786
• Manitoba - 6,534
• New Brunswick - 3,726
• Newfoundland and Labrador - 2,358
• Northwest Territories - 198
• Nova Scotia - 4,680
• Nunavut - 180
• Ontario - 70,074
• Prince Edward Island - 774
• Quebec - 39,474
• Saskatchewan - 5,436
• Yukon - 198

Study permit applications accepted for processing

IRCC also announced that the overall number of study permit applications it would accept for processing from PAL/TAL-required students in 2026 stood at 309,670.

This figure was based on approval rates observed between 2024 and 2025.

The breakdown of applications by jurisdiction was:

• Alberta – 32,271

• British Columbia – 32,596

• Manitoba – 11,196

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• New Brunswick – 8,004

• Newfoundland and Labrador – 5,507

• Northwest Territories – 785

• Nova Scotia – 8,480

• Nunavut – 0

• Ontario – 104,780

• Prince Edward Island – 1,376

• Quebec – 93,069

• Saskatchewan – 11,349

• Yukon – 257

Officials stressed that the changes were designed to ensure Canada’s immigration system remained sustainable.

The government emphasised that the new allocations were part of a broader effort to balance the needs of international students with the country’s housing, healthcare and infrastructure capacity.

Canada introduces new route for Nigerians

Legit.ng earlier reported that Ottawa, the Canadian capital, is set to introduce a new pilot project to attract and retain French-speaking international students by offering them a direct route to permanent residency upon graduation.

The country disclosed this via its official immigration website, saying that the programme will officially launch on August 26, 2024, and is collaborating with designated French-speaking and bilingual post-secondary institutions.

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According to reports, the country’s bilingual national identity has been threatened since 1971, causing depopulation from 6.1% to about 3.5%.

Source: Legit.ng