(Image source from: Canva.com)

The Canadian government is forecasting a seven percent reduction in international study permits for the coming year, setting the 2026 total at 408,000. This count consists of 155,000 visas for newcomers and 253,000 renewals for existing students, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

"This figure is seven percent less than the 2025 goal of 437,000 and 16 percent lower than the 2024 goal of 485,000," noted IRCC. It is estimated that new work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP) will hit 230,000 in 2026, but will then drop to 220,000 in 2027 and 2028.

Indian nationals continue to be the group most impacted. In 2024, they represented:

20.8 percent of TFWP participants (39,790 individuals).
29.2 percent of IMP participants (209,505 individuals).
36.5 percent of study permit holders (188,465 individuals).

The 2025 strategy allowed for 673,650 temporary residents, which included 367,750 workers and 305,900 students. An earlier projection for 2024 expected 516,600 temporary residents for 2026 and 543,600 for 2027.

IRCC mentioned, "We need to make further cuts to achieve our goal of lowering the proportion of Canada's temporary population to under 5 percent of the overall population by the end of 2027." According to the 2026 prediction, the total entries for temporary residents, including workers and students, will decrease to 385,000, and then further to 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028. The government's latest plan for immigration suggests significant reductions of nearly 43 percent in admissions for temporary residents, cover both international students and foreign workers. The previous plan anticipated 305,000 new international students each year, but the revised targets now permit only 155,000 in 2026, with that number decreasing to 150,000 in 2027 and 2028. IRCC stated that the cap for study permits in 2024 has already slowed the growth of the temporary population, with the number of study permit holders dropping from over 1 million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025. The limit will continue to restrict the number of applications processed, with a cap of 408,000 study permits permitted in 2026.

Starting on January 1, 2026, Master's and PhD students at publicly recognized learning institutions (DLIs) will not need provincial or territorial attestation letters (PAL/TAL). IRCC indicated that this exception acknowledges their role in fostering innovation and economic development. A complete list of eligible DLIs will be provided soon.

Other groups exempt from the PAL/TAL requirements include:

K-12 students.
Certain federal priority and at-risk groups.
Current study permit holders who are requesting an extension at the same institution and level.