Canada caps study permits at 309,670 for 2026

Canada has set a limit of 309,670 study permit applications for 2026.

This means that only this many applications will be accepted for processing.

The limit is part of a plan to control the number of international students in Canada.

The number of study permit holders has already dropped from over 1 million in early 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025.

Next year, Canada expects to issue 408,000 study permits, which is fewer than the previous years.

There has also been a big drop in new international students arriving in 2025, with 60% fewer students compared to the same period in 2024.