Canada: 2025 International Student Cap and Allocations Announced

Following the introduction of the temporary international student cap in January 2024, the government has now released the 2025 cap and allocated it among Canada’s provinces and territories. For 2025, Canada plans to issue a total of 437,000 study permits—a decrease of 10% from 2024. Details on the cap calculation, the breakdown by student cohort, and the allocation model can be found here. This decision aligns with the government’s stated goal of reducing the number of temporary foreign nationals in the country to 5% of the total population.

Also, in related policy changes:

• As announced in late 2024, graduate and doctoral students are no longer exempt from the cap;
• exchange students are now exempt from the provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) requirement to ensure reciprocal study abroad opportunities for Canadians; and
• the government also clarified other policies related to PAL/TAL requirements. More details can be found here.