Canada Eases Study Permit Rules for Graduate Students

Key Point  

• Canada will exempt master’s and doctoral students at public institutions from its national study permit cap starting 1 January 2026 

Canada Prioritizes Graduate Student Recruitment 

Canada announced new measures to support international graduate student recruitment while managing overall study permit volumes. Beginning 1 January 2026, the following changes will take effect: 

• Master’s and doctoral students at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) will: 
  • Be exempt from Canada’s national study permit cap 
  • No longer requires a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL) 
• Students at private DLIs will remain subject to both the cap and attestation letter requirements. 

In addition, IRCC will expedite study permit processing for doctoral students who apply online from outside Canada, with a target processing time of 14 days. This faster timeline also applies to eligible accompanying family members who submit their applications concurrently. 

These updates reflect Canada’s commitment to attracting top-tier international talent and streamlining access to graduate-level education. 

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