Navigating Change: Canada’s New Regulations for International Students Unveiled

Canada Strengthens International Student Program Amid Immigration Reforms

On September 19, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a reduction in the intake cap for international student study permits for 2025. The IRCC is aimed to manage the temporary resident arrivals in the country for that it planned to stabilise the intake cap for 2026, maintaining the same number of permits issued as in 2025. This decision includes a 10 percent decrease from the 2024 target of 485,000 new study permits, bringing the total to 437,000.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced plans to reduce the proportion of temporary residents from 6.5% of the total population to 5% by 2026. The federal government indicated that it would take steps to manage the increase in temporary residents and hold employers accountable for any misuse of the system. According to an official statement, they are reforming the International Student Program, tightening eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers, enforcing stricter compliance from employers, and making labor market impact assessments more rigorous to combat fraud, among other measures. This fall, IRCC will update the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program to better align with immigration goals and labor market needs.

Additionally, the Canadian government plans to restrict work permit eligibility for the spouses of master's degree students to those enrolled in programs lasting at least 16 months. There will also be limitations on work permits for the spouses of foreign workers in management, professional occupations, or sectors experiencing labor shortages, as part of Canada’s work permit programs. For the 2025–2026 study permit intake cap, master’s and doctoral students will now be required to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter.

The Canadian government plans to reserve approximately 12 percent of allocation spaces for these students, acknowledging the valuable contributions they make to the Canadian labor market. Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, stated that not everyone who wishes to come to Canada will be able to do so, just as not everyone who wants to stay will have that opportunity.
He emphasized that the government is taking steps to strengthen temporary residence programs and implement a more comprehensive immigration plan to address the evolving landscape as it is crucial for the immigration system to maintain its integrity and be managed sustainably. The government would do everything necessary to achieve these goals and support newcomers in their success.

Editor's Note: 

Canada has announced new measures aimed at tightening rules for international students as part of a broader strategy to manage immigration and uphold the integrity of its temporary residence programs. These changes reflect the government's commitment to aligning immigration policies with labor market needs and ensuring that the benefits of international education are maximized while addressing concerns over misuse of the system. As the landscape of immigration evolves, these updates are crucial for both prospective students and the Canadian labor market. 

Skoobuzz believes that these recent changes to Canada's international student policies will strike a balance between managing immigration effectively and ensuring that the contributions of students remain valued in the labor market.