Following a challenging year marked by record-low study permit approvals, Canadian international education enters 2026 with cautious optimism. Experts project the sector will fall short of its 408,000 permit target as visa processing delays and approval rates hovering at 30-34% continue to constrain student mobility. While graduate students gained exemption from caps and CAD$1.7 billion was allocated for global talent recruitment, stakeholders warn that systemic reforms arou

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released provincial and territorial allocations for 2026 under the international student cap, setting a national target of 408,000 study permits—down 7% from 2025. The cap, which has successfully reduced the number of study permit holders from over 1 million to approximately 725,000 since its 2024 introduction, aims to lower Canada's temporary population to below 5% by 2027. As announced before, master's and doctoral students

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced measures to strengthen graduate student recruitment following recent enrolment restrictions. Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral candidates at public universities will be exempt from the international student cap, eliminating the need for provincial attestation letters. Additionally, doctoral applicants will benefit from expedited 14-day study permit processing, extended to accompanying family mem