Some of these changes are in effect immediately; some are still pending.

What has already changed?

As of 1 April 2026, international students no longer need a separate co-op work permit that are part of their post-secondary programme in Canada. This change applies to work-integrated learning components within the student’s programme of study, including co-op placements, internships, practicums, and mentorships.

This is a significant departure from the previous practice where students pursing any such work-integrated learning placement were obliged to obtain a separate co-op work permit in addition to their study permit.

Commenting on the change on LinkedIn, Ankita Goyal, an adjunct professor of immigration law at Queen’s University, said, “Removing the need for a co-op work permit means students won鈥檛 be stuck waiting to start their placements鈥攕omething that has historically caused delays, stress, and even lost opportunities.”

“This change simplifies the administrative process for students by requiring only one permit to complete a single study programme,” adds a statement from IRCC. “It does not increase the number of students who are authorised to work or affect temporary resident volumes; it simply removes an administrative step that is no longer necessary.”

In order to be eligible to carry out any such work-integrated learning with only a study permit, the work placement must be a requirement of the study programme. The updated IRCC guidance says that eligible students must meet all of the following conditions:

• “You have conditions printed on your initial study permit that say you鈥檙e allowed to work on campus.
• You have a letter from your DLI [Designated Learning Institution] that confirms the work placement is a requirement of your study program.
• You have a valid study permit or you applied to extend your study permit before it expired.
• You鈥檙e a full-time student at a DLI.
• Your study programme is at least 6 months long, at a post-secondary level and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate.
• The work placement of your study programme totals 50% or less of your study programme.”

Further easing ahead?

In addition to those immediate changes around co-op of other work placements, IRCC has also proposed to rules around post-graduation work permits (PGWP).

Most notable among these is a proposal, for which consultations will be ongoing for the next month or two, that would allow international students to work without a work permit in cases where:

• An international student is waiting for a decision on a study permit extension; and
• An international graduate is awaiting a decision on an application for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

“When international students finish their programme, they can apply for a PGWP. However, there’s a gap between graduating and receiving the PGWP,” says a related report on . “Currently, gaps between permit expiry and approval of a new permit can leave students and graduates in limbo, and unsure about their ability to work, even though current regulations do allow graduates to begin work before receiving their work permit.”

The process and timeline for implementation of any new rules around PGWPs is not yet clear, but the current proposals reflect the government’s stated intention to streamline and Canada’s immigration system, and so seem likely to proceed in some form.

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada: Government audit finds impact of international student cap far greater than expected“
• “Canada鈥檚 foreign enrolment has fallen by nearly 300,000 students over the last two years“
• “Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy“

The post Canadian immigration officials move to ease rules around student work permits appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

As of this year, however, that pathway enrolment has now dwindled to the “low single digits” according to industry experts. This dramatic shift is the result of new immigration settings that essentially upended that national network of joint programmes.

Not enough PALs

The challenge to the pathway model first appeared in the form of Canada’s cap on foreign enrolment in January 2024. That cap is in part administered through an inventory of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) that are allocated by the federal government to each Canadian province or territory. Each provincial or territorial government in turn distributes its PAL inventory among its respective Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). The pattern that has emerged over the first years of the cap system is that (1) PAL allocations tend to be heavily weighted to public institutions and (2) the allocations for language schools are often very modest.

In 2026, for example, Ontario, the province that is home to the country’s largest share of international students, allocated 96% of its PALs to public colleges and universities in the province. Only 4% were reserved for language schools, private universities, and other institutions.

The change of status problem

Subsequent to the introduction of the enrolment cap, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also introduced that sets out that an international student, “Must be enrolled in the designated learning institution (DLI) named on [their] study permit. This means [they] can no longer change DLIs by letting us know through [their] online account. To change DLIs, [they] need to get a new study permit by applying to extend [their] current one.”

This directly impacted the traditional pathway model in Canada in that students would now need to apply for a new study permit as they moved from one pathway partner (one DLI, that is) to the next.

In short, that combination of a limited inventory of PALs for language schools and the additional uncertainty introduced around the new change of status provisions meant that the conventional pathway model in Canada was no longer viable.

Creating a new pathway model for language study

On the heels of those earlier policy changes from 2024, IRCC introduced a further revision to its rules for “joint programmes resulting in a single credential” in July 2025.

Languages Canada, the peak body for language training in the country, sought clarification from IRCC as to how that new rule might apply to pathway programmes. “The idea we began with,” says Languages Canada Executive Director Gonzalo Peralta, “is that language itself could be the joint programme.”

In November 2025, the association received confirmation from IRCC that the new rule around joint programmes could indeed be applied to a language study pathway.

This determination led Languages Canada to create a new model for pathways 鈥� the (JPP) 鈥� and to operationalise that new model via a limited pilot beginning in February 2026.

Languages Canada explains that in the JPP, “Lower-level language education is delivered by the private partner, followed by upper-level language education at the public partner. Students remain within a single joint programme under one study permit. The public institution issues a [letter of acceptance, LOA] and PAL naming both DLIs and specifying the joint programme. The public institution conducts LOA verification and compliance reporting, and issues a conditional LOA for the academic programme [outside of the JPP].”

That model is based on IRCC’s current for joint programmes which set out that:

“Students pursuing a joint programme that results in a single credential may be issued

• one provincial/territorial attestation letter from the province or territory of the DLI issuing the credential and
• one study permit for the DLI issuing the credential for the entire duration of their studies (or for the duration of their passport validity, whichever comes first).

The DLI issuing the credential must

• issue the LOA with no academic conditions required to advance to the next DLI in the joint programme
• complete the LOA verification activity
• complete the international student compliance regime report, which includes reporting on the student when they are studying at any other DLI that is part of the administration of the joint program”

With that operational guidance in place, the benefits for each partner in the JPP are clear. As Languages Canada explains, “For private language schools, the JPP creates a compliant pathway for study permit students and helps navigate PAL scarcity. For public institutions, it offers a way to increase intake by partnering with trusted private partners and leveraging established recruitment pipelines in diverse markets.”

Going nationwide

Based on the findings from the early pilot and on the considerable demand from prospective pathway partners, Languages Canada announced at its annual conference in March 2026 that the JPP pilot will now be rolled out nationally. 鈥淭he Joint Pathway Program aims to bring language pathway programmes back to Canada鈥檚 education ecosystem, in a structured and responsible way that protects students, institutions, and Canada,鈥� says Mr Peralta. 鈥淏y aligning language education with post-secondary pathways in a clear and coordinated way, we are restoring confidence in Canada as a destination of choice for international students.鈥�

Along with ILSC and Oxford International, ILAC is a participant in the pilot. 鈥淎s an established leader in Canadian pathway programmes, ILAC is committed to using the JPP to continue delivering an exceptional student journey, offering a smooth, supported transition from our language programmes to post-secondary institutional partners,” adds Senior Vice President Partnership Development and Career Colleges Magdalena Link. “The IRCC-approved JPP further amplifies these opportunities, opening new doors for students pursuing higher education in Canada. The benefits for students are clear: the JPP removes the risk associated with change of status or applying for a new study permit. It offers more certainty as students can transfer from the private language school partner to the public post-secondary partner under a single study permit.”

“Our objective is to bring pathways back to Canada,” says Languages Canada’s Peralta. “Within three to five years, we want to have at least 10% of language students in pathways.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada鈥檚 foreign enrolment has fallen by nearly 300,000 students over the last two years“
• “Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy“
• “Canada announces international student cap numbers for 2026 and updated programme guidance“
• “Nearly 30 Canadian language programmes closed in Q1, marking the ‘sharpest decline in the sector鈥檚 history’“
• “Canada鈥檚 language sector buffeted by policy changes in 2024“

The post Canada’s language training sector reinvents pathway programme model in response to policy settings appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The data suggests that the Canadian government鈥檚 reforms have achieved many stated goals, but that these achievements have come at considerable cost to the country鈥檚 economic potential. Canada鈥檚 population is in decline, and there are significant skills gaps in critical areas. notes:

鈥淭o function at its peak and provide a better life for all Canadians, our economy needs to fill tens of thousands of critical positions in engineering, technical occupations (medical technologists, dental care occupations), higher-skill goods (mechanics, electrical trades), and other higher-skill services (nurses, teachers, social services and therapy professionals). The worker shortage in these ‘clusters,’ as categorized by the Conference Board of Canada in a recent report, is costing us a lot 鈥� around $2.6 billion this year already 鈥� but simply put, we鈥檙e short on Canadians.鈥�

Have the policies been effective?

The stated aims of Canada鈥檚 new policy settings include:鈥ㄢ��

• Reducing demand pressure on rental prices, affordable housing, and health care;
• Responding to public unease about immigration levels;
• Eliminating the ability of and financial incentive for institutions and agents to recruit aggressively or irresponsibly in overseas student markets.

International student policy reforms have played a role in spurring progress in all these areas 鈥� except for alleviating the strain on health care. For example, polls show that Canadians are now about immigration levels than in 2024. Rental prices in 2025 than in 2024, though a rapid injection of new housing supply is as much a reason for this as fewer new temporary residents.

As for health care, the decline in new international students has not resulted in more health care capacity and quality for Canadians. Instead, there is a growing shortage of doctors and nurses in Canada. The National Library of Medicine notes: 鈥淐anada faces a 22,823-family physician shortfall, with only 1,300 new graduates annually, making it impossible to close the gap at the current rate, especially in rural areas.鈥�

Similarly, the told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) in 2025 that the reforms are exacerbating Canada鈥檚 acute shortage of nurses, particularly in rural areas:

鈥淏eyond the financial implications [of reduced international student tuition] for schools, certain locations rely on international student nursing graduates to fill shortages in local health care institutions. This is particularly true of programs that operate in linguistic-minority contexts and rely on international students to meet the increasingly diverse health industry and population needs. Current reforms are therefore significantly affecting provinces鈥� health human resources needs and increasing the vulnerability of precarious, yet essential, nursing programs. In the short term, the decisions affect the viability of programs (such as through program closures, layoffs, hiring freezes). In the long term, they affect the academic institution鈥檚 capacity to address the increasing needs of a diverse population.鈥�

The effects have been significant

A central goal of the reforms was to reduce the number of international students in 鈥渓ow-demand鈥� programmes such as business, which accounted for the lion鈥檚 share of new international student enrolments between 2018 and 2023. But international enrolments in a much wider range of fields have fallen dramatically, including at the graduate level and in the STEM specialisations Canada needs most for its global competitiveness.

In September 2025, , a leading source of Canadian business and technology news, interviewed Robert Asselin, the CEO of the U15, which is the association representing Canada鈥檚 most highly ranked research universities such as the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia. Commenting on the effect of the cap and associated reforms, Mr Asselin said:

鈥淟ike capital, talent is mobile. [International talent] can go elsewhere if they feel that they鈥檙e not welcome here, and this is what鈥檚 happening.鈥�

According to U15 data, between September 2023 and September 2024 (when the study permit cap started affecting Canadian college and university admissions) international enrolments fell by -21.4% in electrical and computer engineering. Double-digit declines also occurred in graduate medical residencies, chemical engineering, environmental sciences, and biology and botany.

In a statement to The Logic, Matthew Krupovich, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, said, 鈥淐utting the number of university grad students was never the government鈥檚 goal. Canada remains open to graduate students.鈥�

But the 鈥渢he Canadian message heard abroad is rather different,鈥� said the U15鈥檚 Mr Asselin:

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e said around the world is, 鈥楧on鈥檛 come to Canada. We don鈥檛 want you here. Even if you鈥檙e smart, even if you have the best grades, the best marks, we鈥檙e closing the door.鈥欌��

It seems clear that the government is aware of falling graduate enrolments in vital subject fields. It recently announced that it would exempt international students applying for master鈥檚 and PhD programmes at public higher education institutions from the study cap.
 
After removing the cap on PhD and graduate students (along with their families), Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said:

鈥淲e recognize that we need them here to grow our economy. And we also recognize that when you鈥檙e coming as a graduate student and a PhD student, you鈥檙e obviously coming for that purpose. So I think that鈥檚 a great start for now.鈥�

The PhD and graduate student exemption came into effect in January 2025. It won鈥檛 erase the losses of key talent over the past couple of years, but it may help reverse the tide.

Retention is also an issue

A report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) and the Conference Board of Canada, , reveals that Canada has not only lost potential global talent as a result of its broad-based international education policies, but that it is also losing the global talent it already has.

The report’s main insights are:

• Immigrants are leaving Canada at near-record rates;
• The most educated and skilled immigrants are leaving at twice the rate of other immigrants;
• The weakest retention rates are immigrants skilled in high-demand fields such as business and finance management, information and communications technology, engineering and architecture management, and manufacturing and processing engineering.

The report concludes:

鈥淸These findings are] particularly noteworthy given Canada鈥檚 demographic reality. The country鈥檚 fertility rate has hit a record low of聽1.26, placing it among the lowest in the world. With births declining and an aging population, Canada鈥檚 immigration model has become essential for maintaining workforce levels and economic growth. Reduced immigration targets mean fewer newcomers will arrive. Coupled with onward migration, economic impacts will compound.鈥�

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
• 鈥�Canada announces new incentives for international recruitment of masters and PhD students鈥�
• 鈥�Canada鈥檚 foreign enrolment has fallen by nearly 300,000 students over the last two years鈥�

The post Canada struggling to attract and retain global talent聽 appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

That is, to put it mildly, a historic drop.

The more provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) underscores the point.

IRCC reports that as of December 2023, there were 673,970 foreign students in Canada with a study permit. Also as of that month, there were another 320,830 students in Canada with both a study permit and work permit. Combining the two groups adds to a total of 994,800 students.

Fast forward to November 2025, and those numbers had fallen to 476,330 and 244,900, respectively, for a total of 721,230 international students.

That amounts to an overall decline of -27.5%, or 273,570 students.

That precipitous decline in Canada’s foreign student population was ushered in by new policy settings that were largely introduced over the first half of 2024. Those measures include a hard cap on foreign enrolment, new restrictions on post-study work rights, and surging rejection rates for study permit applicants.

The net effect of those new settings has been to substantially reduce the numbers of new students coming to Canada to begin their studies, another key underlying trend that we see illustrated in the following chart.

IRCC highlights that student arrivals are down by -60% for January to November 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.

Needless to say, with so few new students arriving, Canada’s foreign enrolment base will be further reduced over the course of 2026. Canada’s says the country expects to welcome 155,000 student arrivals in 2026 (a -49% reduction from the 2025 target), and then 150,000 per year in 2027 and 2028. This compares to the 293,100 actual student arrivals reported by IRCC for 2024.

More broadly, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan aims to reduce the Canada’s population of temporary residents 鈥� a category primarily composed of international students and temporary foreign workers 鈥� to less than 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.

In December 2025, reported, “On October 1, 2025, there were 2,847,737 non-permanent residents in Canada (6.8% of the total population), down from 3,024,216 on July 1, 2025 (7.3% of the total population). The decrease in the estimated number of non-permanent residents was the result of larger, record-high outflows (339,505) 鈥� that is, permits expiring 鈥� compared with inflows (163,026), which reflect permits issued.”

Canada’s larger goals in terms of managing its temporary resident population down (as a percentage of total population) have been hindered by the continued growth in the number of temporary foreign workers over the last two years. Indeed, the number of foreign nationals in Canada with work permits continued to increase until June 2025, and only begin to decline marginally over the second half of 2025. Put another way, most of the reductions that have been observed in temporary resident numbers in Canada to date have come from the declining number of international students.

Canada’s total population is projected to reach 41.6 million by the end of next year. In order to come under the government’s target threshold to bring the number of temporary residents to under 5% of the total population, the number of non-permanent residents in Canada will have to fall to roughly 2.08 million by then; down from a total of about 2.7 million as of November 2025.

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada cuts foreign enrolment cap by nearly 50% as current year trends below COVID levels“
• “Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025“
• “Measuring the impacts of the first full year of Canada鈥檚 foreign student enrolment cap“

The post Canada’s foreign enrolment has fallen by nearly 300,000 students over the last two years appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

There is that falling international student numbers have helped to ease rental rates in some cities and towns. But the other part of the story is that more rental housing has been built in the past couple of years, and this additional supply to more affordable housing on the market.

Housing costs aside, what effects have the cap and other blanket immigration policies had on the Canadian economy?

Those effects can already be measured in the billions, and financial losses are just one aspect of them. The Canadian postsecondary system is reeling, and local economies are losing essential talent.

No immediate way to mitigate plummeting student numbers

Research from higher education consultant Alex Usher finds that between 2010 and 2023, 鈥渋nternational student tuition was responsible for 100% of new operating revenue in [Canada鈥檚 post-secondary] sector.鈥�

Should things have gotten to that point, where postsecondary institutions became so entirely dependent on international students for survival? Of course not. But a few other realities explain how this state of affairs came to be. From by chartered bank RBC:

鈥淧ublic spending on postsecondary institutions in Canada has fallen from 1.47% of GDP at its height in 2011 to the current OECD average of 1.1% 鈥� a sustained decline that is rare among other OECD countries. As a percentage of GDP growth, public spending is CDN$13 billion short of where it was 15 years ago.鈥�

On top of this, provincial governments have prevented postsecondary educators from raising domestic tuition fees: 鈥淢ost undergraduates are paying roughly what they would have paid 10 years ago for the same programme.鈥� Needless to say, while tuition rates have been frozen, nearly all categories’ operating costs have continued to increase.

These facts highlight:

1. How impossible it has been 鈥� for years and years 鈥� for many institutions to generate sufficient operating revenues outside of international student tuition.
2. How difficult it has been for these institutions in the past two years of the cap to keep staff and programmes running given that any significant increase in public funding is nowhere to be seen.

The list of damages resulting from the cap is long.

Across only six institutions in Ontario, the Canadian province with the most international students, financial losses already exceed CDN$140 million since 2024. Relatedly, the Globe & Mail reports that, as of July 2025, Ontario鈥檚 public colleges have already had to suspend 600 programmes and .

In British Columbia, the next largest enroller of international students in Canada, postsecondary institutions鈥� losses are expected to be surpass CDN$300 million annually. At one of the province鈥檚 colleges, Okanagan College, the student union has met with institutional leadership to voice a concern about as the college鈥檚 staff increase their focus on recruiting enough students to keep programmes open.

In the province of Saskatchewan, at least 100 staff have been laid off at Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) 鈥� a research powerhouse in Canada that ranks first in the Top 50 Research Colleges list compiled by . International enrolments at this institution are down 40% and revenue losses are in the tens of millions.

Profound, multifaceted damage

The example of Sask Polytech reveals that current revenue drops are only a small slice of the damage the caps are inflicting on Canada鈥檚 postsecondary system and local economies. Larry Rosia, the polytechnic鈥檚 president, told the : 鈥淲e were able to run additional programmes with additional seats for domestic students as a result of our international enrolments, and that won鈥檛 happen now. We just don鈥檛 have the funds.鈥�

In other words, domestic high school students are facing a more impoverished postsecondary system because the steep drop in operating revenues caused by the cap is affecting the number and quality of programmes and the research capacity of colleges and universities. The think tank adds: 鈥淔inancial losses also reduce funding for additional student supports such as mental health services, financial aid and expanded work-integrated learning opportunities.鈥�

Sask Polytech鈥檚 struggles also highlight the cap鈥檚 impact on research and innovation specific to local economic needs and skills gaps. The institution is known for its collaboration with provincial industry partners to help them to improve processes and respond to issues in communities. Examples have included:

• A collaboration in 2022/23 with Ground Truth Agriculture Inc., a company that specialises in real-time grain quality data, in which the polytechnic helped to refine their advanced artificial intelligence systems through its Digital Integration Centre of Excellence.
• A collaboration with NWC Wild Rice Company to create an efficient and easily repairable propulsion system for wild rice harvesters in northern Saskatchewan. This project also included a complementary community-based training program for maintenance and repair.
• A Virtual Interventions and Community Connections for Indigenous Youth (VICCIY) initiative in 15 rural and remote communities across Saskatchewan, with a focus on addressing disparities in mental health care access and support experienced by Indigenous youth.

The polytechnic has four campuses across the province, further enabling it to refine programmes to local needs.

Here, another element of the cap鈥檚 design is worth noting: It considers national rather than regional labour force needs, which experts believe is detrimental to local economies. With revenue losses as steep as those experienced at Sask Polytech (and many other Canadian institutions known for strong industry collaborations), smaller towns and/or those in rural regions become more vulnerable in terms of:

• Job losses (e.g., at the college or university in their community);
• Programme closures;
• A reduced pool of graduates with skills relevant to local realities.

noted in October 2025: 鈥淟ower student and staff spending ripples through retail, food service, fitness, transit, and neighborhood services, softening sales for small businesses and reducing demand for street-front and strip-mall space near campuses.鈥�

Policy Options adds: 鈥淲hen we starve an institution of its training capacity, we directly undermine local employers, industry and in some cases regional economic sustainability.鈥�

鈥淚f we were talking about any other industry 鈥� the steel industry, the auto industry, the lumber industry 鈥� it would be on the TV every night and the federal government would be stepping in to help,鈥� says Mr Rosia.

Rural towns are the most affected

points out:

• 鈥淥nce international students graduate, they often continue to work in the communities where they studied, through the Post-Graduate Work Permit program (PGWP) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
• Small and rural communities tend to rely on newcomers and migrant workers more than urban centres to fill workforce gaps, especially in care work, as rural communities are aging faster.
• Small and rural communities also rely more on post-secondary campuses as economic anchor institutions. Beyond the direct jobs that campuses bring to a community, students and staff spend money in the local community, supporting small businesses, housing, and other services; sporting and artistic activities bring a sense of pride; and often campuses offer opportunities for partnerships between local industries and researchers.鈥�

of the link between higher education access and rural economic health in its April 2025 interview with Coralee Oakes, former British Columbia shadow minister for postsecondary education. Ms Oakes called higher education institutions 鈥渢he hub of the wheel for small communities struggling with everything from health care to jobs to mental health and addiction.”

She told The Tyee that having a College of New Caledonia satellite campus in her hometown of Quesnel has been integral to sustaining local health care:

鈥淚f we didn鈥檛 have the health-care training at our local college, we wouldn鈥檛 have a hospital that鈥檚 functioning. We can鈥檛 recruit our way into filling these gaps.鈥�

Geoff Dawe, national president of the Public and Private Workers of Canada, or PPWC, a union representing support staff at Selkirk College in British Columbia’s southern interior region, also spoke with The Tyee and made this point:

“We need to make sure that our rural communities stay strong, viable, economical places to raise kids and grow. [Because of international tuition losses affecting the community], people are going to go to different communities or bigger cities where they will offer these programmes.鈥�

Suffice to say, this will run counter to the federal government’s

The third year of the cap

Despite business and education stakeholders鈥� concerns about the sweeping impacts of the cap, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this fall that a maximum of 155,000 study permits will be issued in 2026. For reasons including plummeting international student demand and high visa rejection rates, this total will almost certainly not be met.

Data provided to 黑料官网 Monitor by IRCC shows that the total number of new study permits issued in 2024 was 267,890 鈥� a roughly -48% reduction from 2023 levels and nearly 100,000 study permits below the official IRCC target.

What鈥檚 more, 2025 was the second year in which Canada鈥檚 colleges, universities, and economy have seen far fewer new international students than could be accommodated under the enrolment cap. IRCC data indicates the department processed only 104,980 study permit applications for new students (as opposed to renewals for continuing students) between January and June 2025. Of those, only 31,580 were approved (an approval rate of just over 30%). This compares to the 223,551 new study permit applications processed during the same period in 2024. Of those, 113,368 were approved (a 51% approval rate).

While full-year numbers are not yet available for 2025, the projection is that Canada will approve only about 80,000 new study permits 鈥� more than 230,000 below the cap for this year. If that projection holds, that will be the lowest volume of new study permits issued in a decade, and it will fall below even the 2020 COVID level.

Gabriel Miller, president of Universities Canada, sums it up this way: 鈥淭he challenge here was always to lower numbers in a smart way. It鈥檚 a bit like they decided to go on a diet and they stopped eating vegetables.鈥�

The diet is certainly extreme, and its continuing impacts 鈥� on students, communities, postsecondary institutions, and the Canadian economy 鈥� will only become more apparent in 2026.

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada announces new incentives for international recruitment of master鈥檚 and PhD students“
• “Canada cuts foreign enrolment cap by nearly 50% as current year trends below COVID levels“
• “Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025“
• “Measuring the impacts of the first full year of Canada鈥檚 foreign student enrolment cap“

The post Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

These are the highlights of the newly released by NAFSA, Oxford Test of English, and Studyportals, which surveyed 461 universities across 63 countries about their international enrolments in the latest intake (August鈥揙ctober 2025).

An important methodological note is that more than half the sample was composed of universities in Canada (20), the UK (39), and the US (201). Just over 130 European universities participated. Asia was the least represented (26 across all Asian countries in the sample).

Overall, a majority of institutions reported having more issues with visa restrictions and government policies: 68% vs. 51% in 2024. This is a big leap, and it is being driven by the responses of university respondents in North America. In the US, fully 85% of institutional respondents said visa barriers are now a major concern (up from 58% in 2024). Visa and immigration issues rose even further in Canada (90%).

Canadian and US universities report significant enrolment drops

Of the Canadian university respondents surveyed, 82% said their undergraduate enrolments are lower than last year, and 71% said the same about postgraduate enrolments. Nearly half (48%) of their US counterparts saw fewer undergraduate students in the fall 2025 intake, and 63% said the same for postgraduate students.

The situation is especially worrisome for Canadian universities, which are recording large decreases in new international enrolments (i.e., students coming for a study programme in Canada for the first time). As shown in the table below, new enrolments are down by more than a third at both the bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 levels. The US is down significantly in new enrolments at the master鈥檚 level, and moderately for bachelor鈥檚 programmes.

Meanwhile, Asian universities are welcoming notably more new students into bachelor鈥檚 programmes, and European institutions are seeing a nice bump at the master鈥檚 level. UK university respondents report moderate increases in new international students at both levels.

One Asian respondent commented: “The Big Four countries’ policies of restricting international student admissions have given a favorable opportunity for East Asian countries to increase their intake.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Postgraduate enrolments have declined more comprehensively than undergraduate ones

Across all regions in the survey, under half of institutions saw their postgraduate enrolments grow in the fall 2025 intake. That said, European universities are faring better than most, with three-quarters (75%) experiencing stable or increased growth and only a quarter (25%) hosting fewer international graduate students. By contrast, just 28% of Canadian university respondents reported stable or increased growth.

Major obstacles to recruiting international students

UK university respondents see government policies as less of a concern than those in the US or UK. For them, affordability is the biggest issue in terms of attracting international students, as shown in the table below. For Asian institutions, lack of affordable housing is the top barrier, followed by affordability. But other than in Asia, visa policies are either the first or second top concern.

An American respondent said, 鈥淩estrictive immigration policies will continue to impact international student enrollment. The proposed changes to the H-1B process and possible changes to CPT and OPT will impact decision-making regardless of the outcomes of those policy proposals.”

Priorities moving into 2026

Overall, most university respondents in the sample chose 鈥渄iversifying into new markets鈥� as their top priority for the next 12 months (see table below). Interestingly, Asia was the outlier, with 鈥渕ore aggressive enrolment goals鈥� narrowly edging out diversification (27% to 23%, respectively). In Asia, many countries (e.g., South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India) have official goals to increase their international enrolments, and we see that reflected in this top priority for Asian respondents.

Universities in Canada and the US are the most intent on diversifying (60% and 51%, respectively), perhaps because risk mitigation is more of a concern as Chinese and Indian demand has become more unpredictable.

Unfortunately, Canada stands out as the country in which at least half of universities are planning budget cuts (60%) or staffing cuts (50%). These percentages are far above the ones we see in other regions in the sample.

Highlighting the importance of diversification, one Canadian respondent said: 鈥淲e’re seeing sharp declines from major source markets like India and China, while interest grows in emerging regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia. Canadian institution.鈥�

The big shift

As government policies continue to challenge North American and UK institutions, international students are demonstrably switching their focus to alternative destinations. In the last Global Benchmark Report, which centred on the January-March 2025 intake, Studyportals produced this graph that shows student search volumes for bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programmes on Studyportals websites over the six months leading to that study.

A call for industry collaboration and lobbying

Dr Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators commented on the study findings:

鈥淲e are navigating one of the most dynamic moments in international education, driven in no small part by shifts in U.S. visa and immigration policy. The ripple effects of these policy changes are being felt across campuses and communities around the world. This moment calls on our higher education institutions to be nimble and deeply attuned to the needs of their students鈥攁nd it calls on us, as an ecosystem, to continue pressing policymakers for greater consistency and clarity throughout the international student journey.鈥�

Looking at the findings for the UK, Jamie Arrowsmith, Director, UK Universities International (UUKi) said:

鈥淭his report highlights the importance of affordability, even before the proposed introduction of the international student levy in England. This means that most institutions will have to absorb the cost to remain competitive. However, it’s welcome to see confirmation that students value the Graduate route and certainty in the policy environment. That’s why it鈥檚 absolutely vital that we now have a period of sustained policy stability in our offer to international students.鈥�

For additional background, please see:

• “Global survey underscores demand shift from ‘Big Four’ to ‘Big Ten’“
• “The changing face of international student mobility“
• “What students want: The top decision factors for study abroad“

The post Canada and the US are losing international student enrolments to Europe and Asia聽 appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

First, IRCC says that it will now offer expedited study permit processing for applicants admitted to doctoral programmes. Specifically:

• Study permit applications lodged by doctoral candidates from outside Canada will now be processed within 14 days
• That expedited processed will also extend to accompanying family members, so long as they apply at the same time as the doctoral student

IRCC adds: “Canada recognizes the important contributions doctoral degree students make to Canada鈥檚 research ecosystem and innovation agenda, including advancements in critical sectors like health care. Faster processing will make it that much easier for high-performing international doctoral students to pursue their education, research and post-graduation career here.”

In addition, students enrolling in master’s or doctoral programmes at public designated learning institutions (DLIs) will, as of January 2026, be exempt from the enrolment cap. This means that they will no longer require a provincial/territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL).

IRCC clarifies that, “Master鈥檚 and doctoral degree students enrolling at a private DLI will continue to be subject to the intake cap鈥檚 [provincial/territorial attestation letter] requirement and will be counted as part of each province and territory鈥檚 overall allocation [under the enrolment cap].”

This means in turn that year-to-year comparisons now become a little tricker when relating this year’s cap limit and the newly announced limits for 2026 (and after).

Historically, students in advanced degree programmes 鈥� including both master’s and doctoral students 鈥� have represented a relatively small proportion of Canada’s foreign enrolment base. In 2023, for example, graduate students accounted for just over 10% of all study permits approved.

Master’s and doctoral students accounted for roughly 10% of the study permits approved in 2023, or just over 53,000 permits that year. Statistics Canada tells us otherwise that, as of the 2022/23 academic year, there were roughly 65,000 students enrolled in advanced degree programmes.

In simple terms, that would suggest that Canada could welcome another 30,000鈥�50,000 students (or more) in advanced degree programmes in 2026 on top of the newly established cap limit of 155,000 new study permits for the year. That would mean that the reduction in the cap limit, rather than being -49% as initially calculated, could be anywhere from -41% to -30%.

The other thing that could be reasonably inferred from this new guidance is that IRCC has introduced some structural bias into the study permit system, and one that explicitly encourages public universities in Canada to expand recruitment for advanced degree programmes.

Along that line, sets out Canada’s intention to more aggressively compete for global talent by “expanding faster processing and [streamlining] the application process.”

Indeed, IRCC has just released which highlights some of these new incentives, notably the expedited processing for doctoral students and the cap exemption for graduate students enrolled in public institutions as of 1 January 2026.

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada cuts foreign enrolment cap by nearly 50% as current year trends below COVID levels“
• “Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025“
• “Measuring the impacts of the first full year of Canada鈥檚 foreign student enrolment cap“

The post Canada announces new incentives for international recruitment of master’s and PhD students appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The plan dramatically reduces the cap limits for new study permits. From a foreign enrolment cap of 316,276 new study permits in 2025, the government has now set limits of 155,000 new study permits for 2026 (a -49% reduction from 2025 levels) and then 150,000 per year for 2027 and 2028. 

Those new targets also represent a significant change from the previously projected limits of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 per year for 2027 and 2028.
 
In short, the government has set out in its new plan that Canada’s foreign enrolment cap is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future, and that the cap limit will be much lower than first expected.

As before, the cap applies to college students, undergraduate students, language students in programmes of more than six months, students in graduate diploma programmes, and those in master鈥檚 and doctoral programmes. Taken together, those student segments make up most of the study permit applications submitted every year.

鈥淥ver time, [the] complexity [of Canada’s immigration system] has grown and its efficiency has waned,” explains . In recent years, the system became even harder to manage and less functional, and the pace of arrivals began to exceed Canada’s capacity to absorb and support newcomers in the way we are used to doing鈥n聽2018, 3.3% of Canada’s population were temporary residents. By 2024, that number had more than doubled to聽7.5%, an unprecedented rate of growth that put pressure on housing supply, the healthcare system, and schools鈥e are taking back control over the immigration system and putting Canada on a trajectory to bring immigration back to sustainable levels.”

The document adds that the new Immigration Plan will “reduce the target for new temporary resident admissions from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026, and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028鈥hese targets keep permanent resident arrivals at less than 1% of the population beyond 2027 and will reduce the total number of temporary residents to less than 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027.鈥�

Catching up with reality?

As drastic as that reduction in new study permit numbers is, it needs to be said that Canada is not going to come anywhere close to its much higher cap limit for 2025 in any case.

In fact, thanks largely to a dramatic decline in study permit application volumes and surging rejection rates, the volume of new study permits issued has never reached the limits allowed under Canada’s foreign enrolment cap.

In 2024 (which was the first year under Canada’s current cap on new international student enrolments), the total number of new study permits issued was 267,890 鈥� a roughly -48% reduction from 2023 levels and nearly 100,000 study permits below the official IRCC target for the year.

Study permit application volumes have continued to fall away in 2025. Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals that the department processed only 104,980 study permit applications between January and June 2025 (less than half of the 2024 volume). Of those, only 31,580 were approved. That approval rate of just over 30%, compares to an approval rate of 51% for applications processed in the same period in 2024.

A new analysis from now projects that Canada will approve only 80,000 new study permits in 2025 鈥撀爉ore than 230,000 below the cap for this year. If that projection holds, that will be the lowest volume of new study permits issued in a decade, and it will fall even below the 2020 COVID level.

“We project that only 80,000 new study permits will be approved for international post-secondary students in 2025, representing a -62% decline from 2024,” says ApplyBoard. “This decrease is caused not only by weakening student demand towards Canada, but also by a significant decline in study permit approval rates. Initial cap calculations were based on a 60% study permit approval rate, yet post-secondary approval rates reached only 37% through the first eight months of 2025.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025“
• “Measuring the impacts of the first full year of Canada鈥檚 foreign student enrolment cap“
• “Canada鈥檚 new government strikes a more conservative note on immigration“

The post Canada cuts foreign enrolment cap by nearly 50% as current year trends below COVID levels appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.