Preliminary IRCC figures obtained by Yahoo News show that Canada issued 18 per cent fewer study permits between January and October 2025 than during the same period last year. India remains the top source country, followed by China, Nigeria, the Philippines and France.
The decline follows a January decision to limit new study permits to 437,000 in 2025—a 10 per cent reduction—amid concerns that record-high enrolments were fuelling housing shortages. Applicants must now secure a provincial attestation letter confirming their place in the federal cap. The policy has particularly affected private career colleges and smaller universities that rely heavily on foreign-student tuition.
![International student visas down 18 % as Ottawa tightens study-permit cap]()
Education-sector lobbyists warn that lost revenue could top C$1.5 billion and lead to programme closures, especially in rural Ontario and the Maritimes. Conversely, tenant-rights groups in Vancouver and Toronto say early data show a slight easing of rental-vacancy rates near large campuses.
For global mobility managers, the tighter quotas mean longer planning cycles. Companies sending employees’ dependants to Canada for study—or using the student-to-work-permit pathway—should factor in higher refusal rates and potential delays in receiving attestation letters from provinces.
The decline follows a January decision to limit new study permits to 437,000 in 2025—a 10 per cent reduction—amid concerns that record-high enrolments were fuelling housing shortages. Applicants must now secure a provincial attestation letter confirming their place in the federal cap. The policy has particularly affected private career colleges and smaller universities that rely heavily on foreign-student tuition.
Education-sector lobbyists warn that lost revenue could top C$1.5 billion and lead to programme closures, especially in rural Ontario and the Maritimes. Conversely, tenant-rights groups in Vancouver and Toronto say early data show a slight easing of rental-vacancy rates near large campuses.
For global mobility managers, the tighter quotas mean longer planning cycles. Companies sending employees’ dependants to Canada for study—or using the student-to-work-permit pathway—should factor in higher refusal rates and potential delays in receiving attestation letters from provinces.
