Canada's 2026 International Student Cap by Province

 During 2026 the IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 to newly arriving international students, as outlined in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students. 

As of January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral level students enrolled at a public designated learning institution (DLI) will not need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) with their study permit application. 

This exemption is in recognition of their unique contributions to Canada’s economic growth and innovation, and will support our efforts to attract talent.

The following groups are exempt from the PAL/TAL requirement in 2026:master’s and doctoral degree students enrolled at public DLIs

 
primary and secondary (kindergarten to grade 12) students
certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts
existing study permit holders applying for an extension at the same DLI and at the same level of study.

The number of study permits expected to be issued in 2026, broken down by student cohort, is as follows:

2026 national target (new arrivals and in-Canada extensions)
Master’s and doctoral students enrolling at public DLIs (PAL/TAL-exempt)	49,000
Primary and secondary school (kindergarten to grade 12) students (PAL/TAL-exempt)	115,000
Other PAL/TAL-exempt study permit applicants	64,000
PAL/TAL-required applicants	180,000
Total	408,000

In 2026, up to 180,000 study permits are expected to be issued to applicants who require a PAL/TAL. The target of 180,000 is distributed to provinces and territories based on their population.

Province or territory	2026 study permit target for PAL/TAL-required cohorts
Alberta	21,582
British Columbia	24,786
Manitoba	6,534
New Brunswick	3,726
Newfoundland and Labrador	2,358
Northwest Territories	198
Nova Scotia	4,680
Nunavut	180
Ontario	70,074
Prince Edward Island	774
Quebec	39,474
Saskatchewan	5,436
Yukon	198
Total	180,000

The following allocations have been assigned based on each jurisdiction’s average study permit application approval rate from 2024 and 2025:

Province or territory	2026 allocations for all PAL/TAL-required applications
Alberta	32,271
British Columbia	32,596
Manitoba	11,196
New Brunswick	8,004
Newfoundland and Labrador	5,507
Northwest Territories	785
Nova Scotia	8,480
NunavutFootnote1	0
Ontario	104,780
Prince Edward Island	1,376
Quebec	93,069
Saskatchewan	11,349
Yukon	257
Total	309,670

A total of 309,670 study permit application spaces will be available under the cap for 2026. This represents the maximum number of study permit applications IRCC will accept for processing from PAL/TAL-required students for the calendar year.