The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the number of study permit applications that could be accepted in 2025 to better prepare international students for life in Canada, strengthen programs and address the changing needs of Canada.
For 2025, IRCC plans to issue a total of 437,000 study permits, which represents a 10% decrease from the 2024 cap.
The breakdown of study permits for 2025 by student cohort is as follows:
|
2025 national target |
|
|---|---|
| Study permits issued to graduate degree students | 73,282 |
| Study permits issued to kindergarten to grade 12 applicants (PAL/TAL-exempt) | 72,200 |
| Study permits issued to all other PAL/TAL-exempt applicants | 48,524 |
| Study permits issued to remaining PAL/TAL-required cohorts | 242,994 |
| Total | 437,000 |
Of the 437,000 study permits expected to be issued in 2025, 120,724 are expected to come from PAL/TAL-exempt students, while 316,267 are expected to come from PAL/TAL-required groups. A breakdown of the 2025 target for study permits issued to PAL/TAL-required cohorts by province or territory is as follows:
| Province or territory | Expected study permits – Graduate degree students | Expected study permits – Remaining PAL/TAL-required cohorts | Expected number of study permits to be issued to all PAL/TAL-required cohorts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 3,887 | 28,773 | 32,660 |
| British Columbia | 20,053 | 33,536 | 53,589 |
| Manitoba | 1,224 | 8,797 | 10,021 |
| New Brunswick | 1,400 | 5,030 | 6,430 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1,456 | 3,208 | 4,664 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 220 | 220 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,954 | 6,343 | 8,297 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 220 | 220 |
| Ontario | 21,841 | 94,899 | 116,740 |
| Prince Edward Island | 205 | 1,045 | 1,250 |
| Quebec | 19,683 | 53,294 | 72,977 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,578 | 7,291 | 8,869 |
| Yukon | 1 | 338 | 339 |
| Total | 73,282 | 242,994 | 316,276 |
Allocations are the maximum number of study permit applications that will be processed from each jurisdiction for students that are required to submit a PAL/TAL with their study permit application. Based on the average approval rate for each province and territory from 2023 and 2024, these allocations should result in the targeted number of study permits issued for capped cohorts:
| Province or Territory | Allocations for Graduate Students | Allocations for All Other PAL/TAL-Required Students | Total Allocations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 5,256 | 42,082 | 47,338 |
| British Columbia | 28,333 | 47,754 | 76,087 |
| Manitoba | 1,980 | 16,611 | 18,591 |
| New Brunswick | 3,112 | 11,673 | 14,785 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2,648 | 6,534 | 9,182 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 | 705 | 705 |
| Nova Scotia | 4,191 | 14,411 | 18,602 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ontario | 32,579 | 149,011 | 181,590 |
| Prince Edward Island | 391 | 2,044 | 2,435 |
| Quebec | 38,786 | 123,956 | 162,742 |
| Saskatchewan | 2,791 | 14,850 | 17,641 |
| Yukon | 1 | 463 | 464 |
| Total | 120,068 | 430,094 | 550,162 |
Source: Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)