Study Permits Update — July 27, 2026
Monday, July 27, 2026
Canada will issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026 — 7% fewer than 2025 and 16% fewer than 2024 — with 155,000 for new arrivals and 253,000 for extensions/renewals.
Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) no longer need a Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) to apply for a study permit.
The 2026 cap allows 309,670 PAL/TAL application spaces nationally, split among provinces and territories roughly by population; once a province exhausts its allocation, IRCC stops accepting applications from that province's DLIs and refunds processing fees.
What You Should Do
- If you are a master's or doctoral student at a public DLI, confirm your school appears on IRCC's list of eligible public DLIs (to be published on canada.ca) before submitting your study permit application on or after January 1, 2026 — you will not need a PAL/TAL.
- If you are a college or undergraduate applicant, contact your province's designated authority now to request your PAL/TAL before your province's 2026 allocation runs out; check your province's allocation on canada.ca at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/2026-provincial-territorial-allocations-under-international-student-cap.html.
- Ensure you can show proof of living funds of at least $22,895 (for a single applicant outside Quebec) on top of first-year tuition and travel costs — this threshold has been in effect since September 1, 2025. Verify the current amount at canada.ca before applying, as IRCC adjusts it annually.
- If your study permit application is returned with a refund by IRCC, it means your province's PAL/TAL allocation has been exhausted — contact your DLI immediately to explore whether a new PAL can be obtained in a future allocation window.
Sources
Topics Covered
International Student Cap Reduction: IRCC announced the 2026 study permit cap at 408,000 total permits and 309,670 PAL/TAL application spaces, continuing a downward trend that has already reduced study permit holders from over 1 million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025.
Graduate Student PAL Exemption: Effective January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral students at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement, a new category added to the existing list of exemptions.
More Study Permits Updates
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Study Permits Update — July 16, 2026
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Study Permits Update — July 13, 2026
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