Number of Canadian study permits drops sharply after visa cap imposed

The number of permits issued to foreign students to study in Canada fell sharply in the first half of this year, nearly 90,000 permits lower than the same period last year.

The number of permits issued to foreign students to study in Canada has dropped sharply after Ottawa imposed a cap on student visas from the beginning of 2024. (Source: Forbes)

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on September 7, Ottawa issued 125,034 international study permits in the first half of last year. However, this number dropped to only 36,417 permits in the first 6 months of this year. The total number of study visa applications also dropped sharply with 302,795 applications in the first half of 2025, compared to 398,675 applications in the first half of 2024 and 575,535 applications in the first half of 2023.

IRCC Minister Laura Blondeau's spokeswoman said the drop in student visa applications shows the measures the country is taking are working.

However, she stressed that IRCC remains fundamentally focused on attracting global talent to help grow the Canadian economy , while working closely with localities and designated educational institutions to build sustainable pathways for international students.

Over the past decade, as post-secondary education budgets have declined and domestic tuition fees have been frozen in some provinces, many Canadian colleges and universities have boosted foreign student recruitment to offset the high tuition revenue from international students.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/so-giay-phep-du-hoc-canada-giam-manh-sau-khi-ap-muc-tran-thi-thuc-326910.html