Question Period Note: International Students

Reforming and recalibrating the International Student Program to be sustainable and effective after years of rapid growth.

• International students enhance Canada’s social, cultural and economic fabric, but unsustainable growth in the number of students required action.

• To ease pressure on housing and services, we’re reducing the number of international students and temporary workers.

• Compared to the same period (Jan-Sep.) last year, 60% fewer new students have arrived in Canada, down 150,220 - a clear sign that the measures we’ve put in place are working.

• Our focus is on attracting the best and brightest international students to Canada’s world-class learning institutions, in volumes aligned with community capacity and the economic needs of the country.

If pressed:
• Recognizing the vital role graduate students play in Canada’s economic growth and innovation, we’re streamlining their study permit application process.
• Starting January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral degree students at public designated learning institutions will not need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit application.

Leading up to the ISP reforms, there were a number of concerning developments that threatened the integrity of the immigration system.
o In an effort by some DLIs to significantly increase their intakes to drive revenues, the number of international students arriving in Canada increased rapidly, without the proper supports they needed to succeed.
o At the same time, we also saw an increase in the number of international students claiming asylum soon after being approved for their study permit.
o Further, we saw the rise of nefarious actors preying on international students for financial gain.
To address these issues, over the past two years IRCC has implemented a suite of measures to achieve a number of interrelated objectives:
o address unsustainable growth;
o strengthen program integrity;
o reduce student vulnerability; and,
o incentivize greater diversification of the international student population.
Measures include:
Letter of Acceptance (LOA) verification system:

• On December 1, 2023, IRCC launched a mandatory LOA verification system that requires DLIs to verify the letter of acceptance (LOA) for enrollment of all post-secondary study permit applications. Previously, verification was undertaken on a case-by-case basis but this shift to systemic verification was intended to combat immigration fraud, preserve the integrity of the International Student Program, and to protect vulnerable students. Under the new system, DLIs verify LOAs through a secure IRCC portal.

Addressing unsustainable growth:

• In January 22, 2024, the Department established an intake cap on most study permit applications, in order to stabilize the international student population.

• Reforms to the Program are reducing the international student volume, which responds to the expectation of Canadians.

• Further, IRCC expanded the Multi Year Immigration Levels Plan to set targets for temporary residents, including international students, for the first time.

• The Government is committed to reducing the temporary resident volumes to less than 5% of the total population by the end of 2027.

• In order to achieve this goal, the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan has set a target of 155,000 new student arrivals in 2026.

• IRCC is now finalizing the 2026 provincial and territorial allocation decisions. Once approved, these will be shared with provinces and territories through Ministerial letters.

• In 2025, based on current trends, IRCC expects fewer student arrivals than the 305,900 target in the Levels Plan.

• A total of 309,670 study permit application spaces will be available under the cap for 2026. This represents the maximum number of study permit applications IRCC will accept for processing from PAL/TAL-required students for the calendar year. Each province or territory is responsible for distributing their allocated spaces to their respective designated learning institutions.

Advancing the commitment to attract top talent:
• IRCC is taking steps to advance the Government’s commitment to attract the best talent in the world. Accordingly, the Department has put in place a new commitment to process study permit applications from outside Canada at the doctoral level within 14 days.

• Further, master’s and doctoral degree students who are enrolling at public DLIs will be PAL/TAL exempt starting in 2026.

• As of January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral level students enrolled at a public designated learning institution (DLI) will not need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit application. This exemption is in recognition of their unique contributions to Canada’s economic growth and innovation, and will support our efforts to attract talent.

• Lastly, IRCC has launched a new webpage aimed at prospective graduate degree students who are considering Canada as their study destination. It brings together key information, outlining the special measures for international graduate degree students, including the new PAL/TAL exemption, faster processing for doctoral students, spousal open work permit eligibility, Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility, and permanent residence pathway options.

Updated financial requirements:

• In January 2024, IRCC introduced new guidance for students as to the costs of living, notionally set at $20,635 for international students to better reflect the cost of living in Canada and help prevent student vulnerability and exploitation.

• This will be updated annually to ensure students continue to be financially prepared for life in Canada. Effective September 1, 2025, the requirement will be adjusted to $22,895.

Regulatory amendments:

• New regulations came into effect on November 8, 2024. These changes include:

o Increasing the number of hours an eligible international student can work off campus each week from 20 hours to 24 hours;

o Requiring international students to attend the designated learning institution named on their permit, meaning that most students wishing to change designated learning institutions need to apply for and be approved for a new study permit; and

o Introducing consequences for designated learning institutions that do not comply with mandatory student compliance reporting and letter of acceptance verification.
If pressed on work hours:
• With our latest reforms, we are aiming to better set students up for success in Canada, and strengthen the integrity and quality of our International Student Program.

• First and foremost, international students must be here to study, not to work. By setting the number of hours that international students may work off campus to 24 hours per week, we are allowing students to help offset some of their costs without compromising their success at school.

Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot:

• On August 26, 2024, IRCC launched the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, in partnership with French-language and bilingual post-secondary DLIs outside Quebec.

• The two-year pilot aims to make access to the program fairer for French-speaking international students from regions where the study permit approval rate is generally lower, namely in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

• The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot participants are exempt from the requirement to have a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) and are not included in the overall cap. Participants are also eligible for a permanent resident pathway after graduation.

Statistics

• For 2025, IRCC’s target number of study permits issued is 437,000 (a 10% reduction from the 2024 target).
• Overall, the total population of work and study permit holders in September represents a decline of about 9% since reaching its highest point in August 2024.

Other Messaging

Approval rates and processing times:
• Recent reforms have introduced new requirements, including the increase to financial requirements, a letter of acceptance verification process and the need to include a Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter as part of the application. These requirements result in additional processing checks.

• This, in addition to an enhanced focus on program integrity, is affecting approval rates. However, approval rates are expected to stabilize over time as applicants adjust to the new requirements and institutions adapt their recruitment strategies and focus on students who are able to meet the new thresholds.

If pressed on processing times:
o With respect to processing times, in certain markets, the demand for study permits for the fall semester has risen this year, compared to the same period last year. The Department is committed to the timely processing of these applications and additional efforts have been made to ensure that clients will receive decisions ahead of the fall semester.
o Online: Current processing times posted on our website are backwards-looking and do not reflect actual processing times. The Department is exploring changes to the way processing times are posted online to better reflect what clients can expect at the time of application. This new approach is in line with our client service strategy to provide meaningful information for applicants to make informed decisions.
o SP-Extensions: The intake of extensions is currently higher processing times. However, the Department is currently expediting extension applications for transfer students moving between designated learning institutions.

If pressed on Department’s commitment to improving outcomes for study permit applicants from countries with lower approval rates:
o The Department continues to analyze data, fine-tune criteria and design tools to improve the decision-making process to ensure program integrity while improving processing efficiency. IRCC is also committed to ensuring that each application is treated fairly and without discrimination. The Department:

 Maintains quality assurance measures to achieve greater consistency in decision making on these applications;

 Continues to work with partners to attract eligible, admissible applicants from a variety of source countries.

Students claiming asylum
• Under the law, anyone claiming asylum in Canada has the right to due process. However, there are no guarantees that an asylum seeker will be allowed to stay in Canada.

If pressed on international students claiming asylum:
• Canada remains dedicated to aiding individuals in need of protection, and IRCC continues to emphasize the need to follow lawful and ethical immigration pathways. The asylum system in Canada exists to protect individuals who are genuinely at risk in their home country.

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