Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released the official allocation of study permits for each Canadian province and territory for 2024. This development follows the department’s announcement earlier this year introducing a national cap on study permit applications to manage the growing number of international students in Canada.
According to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, the IRCC’s approach to distributing the permits is primarily population-based. Provinces and territories received study permit application allocations in proportion to the size of their populations. However, adjustments were made to prevent significant disruptions in regions hit hardest by the cap.
To reduce disproportionate impacts, IRCC made three key adjustments to the basic population-based model. First, for provinces expected to receive fewer international students compared to 2023, allocations were increased to soften the decline. Second, jurisdictions that would exceed a 10% share of international students relative to their population saw their allocations capped. Finally, provinces with study permit approval rates below 60% were given additional permits, helping them maintain viable student intake numbers.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, received the highest allocation at 235,000 study permits. The province is home to 530 designated learning institutions (DLIs), but Ontario officials have announced that 96% of its study permits for 2024 will be directed to public universities and colleges. This leaves a small margin for private institutions to enroll international students this year.
This national permit distribution strategy is a key part of Canada’s efforts to manage and improve the international education sector. The new cap and allocation system are designed to maintain educational quality, support housing availability, and ensure a more equitable distribution of international students across the country.
The release of provincial allocations also provides clarity for students and educational institutions navigating the new limits. Institutions are now recalibrating their admissions strategies in line with the IRCC’s allocations, while prospective international students are being urged to apply to public institutions, especially in high-demand provinces like Ontario.
Maple News will continue to monitor the implementation of these new measures and assess their impact on Canada’s study visa landscape in the months ahead.