The Canadian government unveiled its new federal budget on Tuesday (4 November), which includes an updated Immigration Levels Plan outlining annual intake targets for both permanent and temporary residents through 2028.
A key feature of the plan is a sharp reduction in new study permit allocations. For 2025, the foreign student enrolment cap stood at 316,276 permits. Beginning in 2026, that figure will fall to 155,000, marking a 49% decrease from the previous year. The cap will then be maintained at 150,000 for both 2027 and 2028.
These revised numbers represent a substantial shift from earlier projections, which had forecast 385,000 study permits in 2026 and 370,000 per year for 2027 and 2028.
In essence, Ottawa’s new plan signals that the foreign student cap will remain in place for the foreseeable future, and at a level far lower than originally anticipated.
The cap continues to cover most categories of international students — including those enrolled in colleges, undergraduate programmes, graduate diplomas, language courses exceeding six months, and master’s or doctoral studies — all of which collectively account for the majority of annual study permit applications.
