Canada’s 2026 International Student. Cap: New Numbers, Exemptions and What They Mean

As of November 30, 2025, there is no new. Canadian immigration announcement today, but Immigration, Refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC) has just released a major. update that will shape international education in 2026: the detailed provincial and territorial allocations under the 2026 international student cap. This article explains the new numbers, who is exempt, and how prospective and current international students should adjust their plans.

pal/tal-required - international - target study permits - study permits - Quick context: recent IRCC updates you should know about

Over the past week, IRCC has published several important measures:

• A notice setting out the 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap, including national targets and province-by-province quotas for provincial attestation letter (PAL) / territorial attestation letter (TAL)–required applicants.
• A notice announcing that Canada is testing digital visas with a pilot for approved Moroccan visitor visa applicants, as part of a long-term push toward digital immigration documents.
• A news release confirming that Canada has lifted the visa requirement for Qatari citizens, replacing it with electronic travel authorization (eTA) requirements for eligible travellers by air.

For students and schools, however, the 2026 international student cap is the most structurally important change, and that is the focus of this analysis.

What exactly did IRCC announce about the 2026 international student cap?

In its notice dated November 25, 2025, IRCC confirmed how the national study. permit target for 2026 will be distributed across student categories and provinces and territories.

Key national targets for 2026

According to IRCC, in 2026 Canada expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits. in total, including both new arrivals and in-Canada extensions. This is broken down as follows:

• 155,000 study permits for newly arriving international students.
• 253,000 study permit extensions for current and returning students.
• This represents a roughly 7% reduction from the 2025 issuance target of 437,000 study permits.

IRCC links this reduction to the federal commitment to bring Canada’s temporary resident share below 5% of the national. population by the end of 2027, a goal tied to the broader Immigration Levels Plan and recent federal Budget announcements.

New PAL/TAL exemptions for 2026

One of the biggest changes for 2026 is who does not need a provincial or territorial attestation letter:

From January 1, 2026, the following cohorts will be exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement when applying for a study permit:

• Master’s and doctoral students enrolled at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) — new exemption.
• Primary and secondary (K–12) students — continuing exemption.
• Certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts — continuing exemption.
• Existing study permit holders applying for an extension at the same DLI and same level of study — continuing exemption.

IRCC indicates that master’s and doctoral students are recognized for their unique contribution to innovation and economic growth,. and exempting them from PAL/TAL is intended to help Canada continue to attract top research and graduate-level talent.

How the 2026 cap compares to 2025

To understand the impact, it helps to compare IRCC’s 2026 targets and allocations with the equivalent 2025 notice.

Overall study permit targets: 2025 vs. 2026

• 2025 national target: 437,000 study permits (all cohorts), with approximately 316,000 of those expected from PAL/TAL-required groups.
• 2026 national target: 408,000 study permits, of which 180,000 are expected to be issued to PAL/TAL-required cohorts.

In other words, the overall issuance target decreases and there is a much sharper. reduction in the number of permits expected for cohorts that still require an attestation letter. This reflects IRCC’s effort to slow growth in some parts of the international student population while still supporting priority groups.

Graduate students: from capped to PAL/TAL-exempt

In 2025, graduate degree students were explicitly counted under the cap, with a national issuance target of about 73,282 study permits for graduate. degree students. For 2026, IRCC sets a 49,000-permit target for master’s and doctoral students at public DLIs, and moves them into the PAL/TAL-exempt category.

The numerical target for graduate students is therefore lower than in 2025, but the removal of. the PAL/TAL requirement should make the application process somewhat more straightforward for many prospective master’s and PhD applicants. This is an important nuance: easier processing does not necessarily mean higher overall numbers, but it may mean more predictable planning for high-quality graduate programs.

Provincial allocations: who gets how many spaces?

Within the national cap, IRCC assigns a specific number of expected study permits for. PAL/TAL-required cohorts, and a larger number of “application spaces” (allocations) to account for refusals.

2026 expected study permits for PAL/TAL-required cohorts

For 2026, IRCC expects to issue 180,000 study permits to applicants who still require a PAL/TAL. The provincial breakdown of those expected permits for PAL/TAL-required students includes:

• Ontario: 70,074 permits
• Quebec: 39,474 permits
• British Columbia: 24,786 permits
• Alberta: 21,582 permits
• Manitoba: 6,534 permits
• Nova Scotia: 4,680 permits
• Saskatchewan: 5,436 permits
• New Brunswick: 3,726 permits
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 2,358 permits
• Prince Edward Island: 774 permits
• Northwest Territories: 198 permits
• Yukon: 198 permits
• Nunavut: 180 permits (though Nunavut currently has no post-secondary DLIs).

2026 application space allocations (maximum applications IRCC will process)

Because not all applications are approved, IRCC sets higher “allocation” numbers — the maximum. number of study permit applications for PAL/TAL-required students that it will accept for processing in 2026. Nationally, there will be 309,670 application spaces for these cohorts.

For example, the 2026 allocations for all PAL/TAL-required applications include:

• Ontario: 104,780 applications
• Quebec: 93,069 applications
• British Columbia: 32,596 applications
• Alberta: 32,271 applications
• Nova Scotia: 8,480 applications
• New Brunswick: 8,004 applications
• Manitoba: 11,196 applications
• Saskatchewan: 11,349 applications
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 5,507 applications
• Prince Edward Island: 1,376 applications
• Northwest Territories: 785 applications
• Yukon: 257 applications
• Nunavut: 0 applications (no allocation because there are currently no post-secondary DLIs).

Important: These allocations are not guaranteed approvals. They represent the maximum number of PAL/TAL-required study permit applications IRCC will accept into processing for 2026. Individual approval still depends on meeting all program requirements and admissibility rules.

Who is affected and how?

Prospective master’s and PhD students

For master’s and doctoral candidates planning to study at public DLIs, the 2026 changes are a mixed picture:

• You no longer need a PAL/TAL for your study permit (if you meet the conditions), which may simplify paperwork.
• However, the national target for graduate students (49,000 permits) is lower than the 2025 graduate target, so competition for spots at top programs may remain strong.

In our analysis, graduate applicants with strong academic profiles and clear study plans may still be relatively well. positioned compared to some other cohorts, because federal policy is explicitly trying to protect and attract high-value graduate-level talent.

This is an interpretation, not a guarantee of approval.

Undergraduate and college applicants (PAL/TAL-required)

For most non-graduate post-secondary students — especially college and many undergraduate programs — the 2026 changes mean:

• The number of study permits expected to be issued to PAL/TAL-required cohorts is significantly reduced compared with 2025.
• Provinces and territories have a fixed number of PAL/TAL spaces to distribute among designated learning institutions.
• Some institutions (particularly those heavily dependent on international tuition) may face tighter intake limits.

Practically, this could lead to:

• More selective admission decisions by colleges and universities.
• Earlier internal deadlines to secure PAL/TALs.
• Potentially higher refusal rates if provincial allocations are exhausted or institutions over-nominate students.

Current students extending their study permits

Current international students extending their study permit at the same DLI and same level of study remain exempt from PAL/TAL, as in earlier. versions of the policy. That said, they are still counted within the national extension target (253,000 for 2026) and must meet all normal extension requirements.

Practical scenarios and examples

Scenario 1: Prospective master’s student in Ontario

You receive an offer for a thesis-based master’s at a public university in Ontario, with an intended start date in September 2026. Under the 2026 rules:

• You should be exempt from the PAL requirement as a master’s student at a public DLI.
• You still need to show you meet financial, academic and temporary resident intent requirements.
• You benefit from the policy focus on attracting graduate-level talent, but you are also competing within a national target of 49,000 graduate study permits.

Strategy wise, you may want to:

• Apply early, with a strong statement of purpose and clear study–career link.
• Ensure proof of funds is well-documented and consistent.
• Highlight research or innovation contributions where possible.

Scenario 2: College applicant to a private DLI in British Columbia

You plan to apply to a two-year diploma at a college in British Columbia that serves many international students. In 2026:

• Your application will likely be in the PAL/TAL-required group.
• B.C. has an issuance target of 24,786 study permits for PAL/TAL-required cohorts and 32,596 application spaces.
• If your institution has already used a large portion of its allocation, it may be more selective or may not issue PALs for certain intakes.

In our view, this means college-bound students should be prepared for:

• More competition for limited PAL/TAL spots.
• Potential advantages in choosing DLIs with stronger compliance records and program outcomes.
• The need to have backup plans (other provinces, other countries, or different timelines).

Scenario 3: K–12 student in a Canadian school board

A family wants to enroll their child in a Canadian public high school. K–12 students remain PAL/TAL-exempt and