Canada sets 5 lakh study permit cap for 2025 to manage international student influx

The number of study permit applications the Canadian government will accept in 2025 has been capped at 505,162.

This measure aims to control the influx of foreign students. Applications for study permits will only be processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) until the cap is reached.

This action is part of a broader strategy to manage the growing number of temporary residents, particularly international students.

Ministerial instructions published in the Canada Gazette explain the cap, which is intended to control the number of international students and address challenges related to temporary residency.

The regulation will take effect on Jan 22, 2025.

On Sep 19, 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a reduction in the 2025 intake cap for international student study permits.

The 2025 cap of 505,162 exceeds the number of permits issued in 2024.

In January 2024, the Canadian government implemented quotas to manage the increasing number of temporary residents, including international students.

Approximately 360,000 study permits were anticipated to be issued in 2024 as a result of the cap, reflecting a 35% decrease from 2023.

The cap is intended to ensure the sustainability of higher education programs, in addition to managing enrollment numbers.

It applies only to study permit applications accepted for processing, not the total number of permits granted.

Applications submitted after the cap is reached will not be processed, and processing fees will be refunded.

To ensure fair allocation and meet local educational needs, the Canadian provinces and territories have been assigned specific portions of the cap.

Applications must include a provincial or territorial attestation letter in order to be processed.

Although official statistics on the number of study permits granted to Indian students in the past two years are unavailable, it is believed that a decline in numbers has been caused by the high cost of living in Canada, limitations on postgraduate programs, and ongoing tensions between the two countries.

As of Dec 2023, there are over one million international students in Canada. In 2022, Canada admitted 550,000 new students from 184 countries.

India was the largest source of international students, contributing 220,000 new arrivals, followed by China with over 52,000 new students.