Study Permits Update — May 29, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students enrolled at publicly-funded designated learning institutions (DLIs) are exempt from the provincial/territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) requirement when applying for a study permit.
New IRCC processing instructions effective February 6, 2026 mean students in joint programs spanning multiple DLIs or provinces now only need a single PAL/TAL instead of one per institution or province.
Canada's 2026 international student cap targets up to 408,000 study permit issuances — 7% lower than 2025 and 16% lower than 2024 — as part of a broader effort to reduce the temporary population to below 5% of Canada's total population by end of 2027.
What You Should Do
- If you are a master's or doctoral student applying to a publicly-funded DLI in Canada, confirm your institution is on IRCC's list of eligible public DLIs (to be published on canada.ca) and submit your study permit application without a PAL/TAL, as the exemption is now in effect.
- If you are in a joint program across multiple DLIs or provinces, request a single PAL/TAL from your primary institution only — under the February 6, 2026 instructions, you no longer need separate letters from each DLI or province.
- If you are an undergraduate-level international student planning to apply in 2026, act early: the cap allows only 155,000 new study permit approvals for newly arriving students. Check your province's allocation and confirm your DLI has PAL/TAL capacity before applying.
Sources
Topics Covered
International Student Cap Reduction: Canada's 2026 study permit issuance target is 408,000 (including 155,000 for new arrivals), down 7% from 2025 and 16% from 2024, as IRCC works to reduce the temporary population to below 5% of Canada's total population by end of 2027.
Graduate Student PAL Exemption: As of January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at publicly-funded DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement. February 2026 instructions also clarified that master's and doctoral programs are considered the same level of study.
Student Work Authorization Simplification: IRCC moved in early 2026 to ease rules around student work permits, and joint-program students now need only one PAL/TAL regardless of how many institutions or provinces are involved.
More Study Permits Updates
Study Permits Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Study Permits Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Study Permits Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
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