Overview
- IRCC set a 2026 issuance target of 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 new students and 253,000 extensions, which is 7% lower than 2025 and 16% below 2024.
- A total of 180,000 permits are reserved for cohorts requiring provincial or territorial attestation, with issuance targets including Ontario 70,074, Quebec 39,474 and British Columbia 24,786.
- To account for refusals, provinces receive 309,670 application spaces for PAL/TAL-required cohorts under the 2026 allocation system.
- Starting January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students at public DLIs, K–12 students, certain federal priority or vulnerable groups and same-level renewals are exempt from PAL/TAL.
- Analysts report the cap will intensify competition for undergraduate places and heighten financial pressure on colleges that rely heavily on international tuition.