IRCC Policy Update — September 7, 2026
Monday, September 7, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028, aiming to reduce Canada's temporary population to below 5% of total population by end of 2027.
The international student cap will result in up to 408,000 study permits issued in 2026 (7% lower than 2025), and starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) are exempt from the provincial/territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) requirement.
As of April 1, 2026, Canadian passport fees have increased (adult 10-year passport now $163.50), and a new '30 days or free' processing guarantee means applicants receive a full refund if their passport takes longer than 30 business days to process.
What You Should Do
- If you are a master's or doctoral student at a public DLI, check canada.ca for the updated list of eligible public DLIs (to be published soon) to confirm you qualify for the PAL/TAL exemption before submitting your study permit application on or after January 1, 2026.
- If you are planning to apply for or renew a Canadian passport, note the new fee schedule effective March 31, 2026: $163.50 for a 10-year adult passport from within Canada. Review the full fee breakdown at canada.ca before submitting your application.
- If you submitted a Canadian passport application on or after April 1, 2026, and processing exceeds 30 business days, you are entitled to a full fee refund automatically under the '30 days or free' guarantee — no extra action required, but keep your application submission confirmation for your records.
- If you are an employer or worker in agriculture or fish processing, monitor IRCC announcements at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices.html for the launch of the new foreign labour work permit stream announced in IRCC's 2025–2026 Departmental Plan.
- If you are a spouse of a foreign worker or international student holding a spousal open work permit (SOWP), watch for IRCC updates on eligibility requirement changes announced in the 2025–2026 Departmental Plan at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices.html.
Sources
Topics Covered
International Student Cap Reduction: IRCC will issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, down 7% from 2025 and 16% from 2024, as the cap continues to shrink Canada's international student population from over 1 million in January 2024 to roughly 725,000 by September 2025.
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: Canada has set new temporary resident arrival targets of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, with the explicit goal of reducing the temporary population share below 5% by end of 2027. Permanent resident targets are stabilized with a focus on economic immigration.
Graduate Student PAL Exemption: Effective January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public designated learning institutions are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement when applying for a study permit, recognizing their contributions to Canada's economic growth and innovation.
Service Fee Adjustments: Canadian passport fees increased on March 31, 2026 for the first time since 2013, with a 10-year adult passport now costing $163.50 from within Canada. A new '30 business days or free' processing guarantee also took effect April 1, 2026.
How these topics connect
Canada's comprehensive immigration strategy is using study permit caps as a key lever to achieve its temporary population reduction targets.
More IRCC Policy Updates
IRCC Policy Update — September 3, 2026
Sep 3, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — August 31, 2026
Aug 31, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — August 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
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