IRCC releases 2025 provincial cap allocations
Under the reduced 2025 cap, the Canadian government plans to issue a total of 437,000 study permits, with almost 17% of these reserved for master’s and doctoral students.
Crucially for higher education, these 437,000 permits include those who are exempt from the provincial and territorial attestation letters (PAL/TAL) system, including roughly 72,000 K-12 applicants.
After those reserved for graduate students and PAL-exempt categories including K-12 applicants, certain government priority groups and exchange students, approximately 243,000 anticipated study permits will be left for post-secondary education.
2025 study permit targets by student cohort:
| Graduate students | 73,282 |
| K-12 (PAL/TAL exempt) | 72,200 |
| All other PAL/TAL exempt applicants | 48,524 |
| Remaining PAL/TAL required cohorts (post-secondary) | 242,994 |
| Total | 437,000 |
New requirements:
While the previously announced total cap came as no surprise, the allocations – effective as of 24 January 2025 – include some noteworthy considerations for institutions planning recruitment strategies.
The sector has welcomed the new exemption of exchange students, intended to ensure that “Canadians can continue to benefit from reciprocal agreements to study abroad”, said the IRCC.
Under new transfer requirements, students moving to a new designated learning institution (DLI) now require a PAL to get a new study permit to change institution. Existing study permit holders applying for an extension at the same institution are exempt from submitting a PAL/TAL.
In September 2024, the government announced it would reserve 12% of allocations for previously exempt master’s and PhD students, though the actual figure amounts to just under 17%.
While overall student numbers may align with IRCC’s targets, the broader impact on institutional readiness and Canada’s reputation will be key areas to watch in 2025
Meti Basiri, ApplyBoard
Provincial distribution:
The provinces receiving the greatest portion of these permits are Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, and Alberta.
The targeted number of study permits issued are calculated using the average approval rate for each province and territory, approximately 60% across Canada.
Ontario, for instance, has been allocated 181,590 study permit applications to be processed, resulting in an estimated 116,740 permits to actually be issued.
| Province or Territory | Expected number of study permits to all PAL/TAL required cohorts |
| Alberta | 32,660 |
| British Columbia | 53,589 |
| Manitoba | 10,021 |
| New Brunswick | 6,430 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 4,664 |
| Northwest Territories | 220 |
| Nova Scotia | 8,297 |
| Nunavut | 220 |
| Ontario | 116,740 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1,250 |
| Quebec | 72,977 |
| Saskatchewan | 8,869 |
| Yukon | 339 |
| Total | 316,276 |
Ontario’s government has said that public institutions will receive 96% of the allocations, while language schools, private universities, and other institutions will receive the other 4%.
“As we have been from the beginning, our government is laser focused on ensuring students in Ontario receive the skills they need to succeed in industries that address our province’s labour market needs,” said Nolan Quinn, Ontario minister of colleges and universities.
What else should I know?
According to the IRCC, the 10% reduction of the 2024 caps aims to build on changes made last year, intended to “keep our program strong and help ease the strain on housing, health care and other services”, it said.
However, according to recent forecasts, study permit approvals are on track to fall by 45% in 2024, rather than the IRCC’s planned reduction of 35%, with stakeholders claiming that the caps’ impact was “significantly underestimated”.
“While overall student numbers may align with IRCC’s targets, the broader impact on institutional readiness and Canada’s reputation will be key areas to watch in 2025,” ApplyBoard CEO Meti Basiri told The PIE News.
Given reduced student interest and planned IRCC job cuts are likely to worsen visa processing delays, it is widely anticipated that study permit approvals will remain below cap levels.
As of November 2024, new regulations require DLIs to report twice a year on student compliance, including the number of student ‘no-shows’ as well as the letter of acceptance verification process.
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