The Canadian federal government has set a cap of 550,162 study permit applications for the remainder of 2025.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this limit in ministerial instructions released on January 18, 2025. The cap will be in effect from January 22 to December 31, 2025.
Once the cap is reached, IRCC will stop processing applications, returning any additional submissions along with refunded fees. This cap applies to applications accepted for processing, not the total number of study permits that will be approved this year.
According to the ministerial instructions, provincial and territorial governments have already received their allocations for international student applications, based on the overall processing target of 550,162.
The federal government introduced this cap to control the number of net new study permits issued, aiming to manage the growth of temporary residents in Canada.
This article will explore the implications of this policy and provide further context on upcoming changes to the international student program in 2025.
Who is Exempt from the Study Permit Processing Cap?
Under the new ministerial instructions, the following applicants are exempt from the 2025 study permit processing cap:
- Study permit renewals: Applicants renewing their study permit at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and at the same level of study as their current permit.
- Individuals with unenforceable removal orders: Those holding a temporary resident permit valid for at least six months.
- Certain sponsored or protected persons:
- Applicants sponsored by a Canadian family member under inland sponsorship.
- Protected persons.
- Those who have applied for permanent residence and received a study permit exemption order.
- Family members of any of the above.
- Exchange students: Those applying to study at a DLI in Canada as part of an official exchange program.
- Federal DLI applicants: Those applying to a DLI administered by a federal department or agency.
- Global Affairs Canada scholarship recipients: Non-Canadian students awarded scholarships administered and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
- Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot participants.
- Applicants under special public policies: Those applying under a federal public policy in response to a crisis or special circumstances.
- Indigenous applicants covered by a special policy: Individuals exempt from study permit requirements under the Temporary public policy to exempt certain Indigenous persons and their family members from temporary residence requirements.
Applications Processed vs. Applications Approved
The cap of 550,162 study permit applications represents the total number of applications IRCC will process, not the number of permits that will be approved.
Since implementing the study permit cap on January 22, 2024, IRCC has been setting an annual approvals target based on:
- A projected study permit refusal rate.
- The number of students already in Canada who are likely to renew their permits.
By factoring in these elements, IRCC determines the total number of applications it will process to meet its approvals target.
For comparison:
- In 2024, IRCC aimed to process 606,250 applications and approve 364,000 study permits.
- In 2025, the processing target has been reduced to 550,162 applications. However, IRCC has not yet announced its study permit approval target for the year.
Study Permit Approvals vs. Student Landings
The 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan sets a goal of welcoming 305,900 new international students per year between 2025 and 2027. However, this figure represents students arriving in Canada, not the number of study permits approved.
Because students may apply for permits months in advance of their studies, the number of approved applications in a given year does not directly correspond to the number of new students arriving in Canada.
