Canada announces study permit cap for 2025

The Canadian federal government has set a cap of 550,162 study permit applications for the remainder of 2025.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this limit in ministerial instructions released on January 18, 2025. The cap will be in effect from January 22 to December 31, 2025. Once the cap is reached, IRCC will stop processing study permit applications. Any additional applications submitted after this limit will be returned without processing, and applicants will receive a refund of their fees.

It is important to note that this cap applies to the number of applications accepted for processing, not the total number of study permits that will be approved in 2025. According to the ministerial instructions, provincial and territorial governments have already received allocations for international students based on the 550,162 application processing target. The federal government introduced this cap to control the issuance of new study permits and manage the growth of temporary residents in Canada.

This article will explore the impact of this policy and provide further insights into upcoming changes to Canada’s international student program.