Canada Imposes Limits on 2025 Study Permits to Manage Foreign Students

Canada has capped study permit applications that would be processed in 2025 at a total of 505,162. The measure was introduced to reduce the number of foreign students while attempting to alleviate issues related to temporary residency.

The federal government's decision to impose a cap is found in the Ministerial Instructions published in the Canada Gazette. These instructions are effective from January 22 to December 31, 2025, in governing the acceptance of study permit applications from foreign nationals in the student class. The objective is to control the number of new study permits issued in response to concerns over rising international student numbers.

Applications above the set cap will not be processed, and any processing fees will be refunded. This cap only applies to the number of applications accepted for processing, not to the total number of permits that will be granted.

Some 505,162 study permit applications will be issued to provinces and territories. Exemptions apply to some categories of applications, and a provincial or territorial attestation letter must be included with the study permit application to be considered for processing. Applications without a letter will be rejected and fees refunded.

In summary, though the cap puts a limitation on the number of applications accepted for processing, it does not have a direct impact on the number of study permits that will be issued at the end of the year. The policy addresses the issues surrounding the influx of international students and ensures the process is not overburdened.