Study Permit Attestation and 2025 Cap

Summary#

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has issued Ministerial Instructions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that change how many and which study permit applications will be accepted for processing in 2025. As of January 22, 2025, most new study permit applications must include a provincial or territorial attestation letter, and the government will accept up to 550 162 such applications between January 22, 2025 and December 31, 2025.

What it does#

• Requires most study permit applications made on or after January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter confirming the applicant has a spot in that province’s or territory’s allocation. The attestation must include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, and address.
• Sets a national cap of 550 162 study permit applications (that fall under these Instructions) to be accepted for processing between January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST and December 31, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST.
• Indicates provinces and territories have been given shares of that cap. If a province’s or territory’s allocation is full, applications tied to that jurisdiction will not be accepted for processing.
• Says applications received after the cap is reached will not be accepted and processing fees will be returned.
• Lists several categories that are excluded from these conditions (so they do not need the attestation or count toward the cap). Examples include:
  • renewals at the same designated learning institution and same level of study in many cases;
  • exchange students;
  • applicants for primary or secondary level study;
  • recipients of certain scholarships administered by Global Affairs Canada;
  • participants in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot;
  • people covered by specific public policies related to crisis migration or certain Indigenous exemptions.
• Provides transitional rules:
  • Applications received between January 1, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST and January 21, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST that are still undecided will be handled under earlier Ministerial Instructions (MI79).
  • Applications received before January 1, 2025 that are still undecided will be handled under whatever instructions were in effect when they were received.
• Takes effect on January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST and expires on December 31, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST.

Who's affected#

• International students applying for new study permits in 2025.
• Students who plan to study in a particular province or territory — they will need that jurisdiction’s attestation letter.
• Designated learning institutions (colleges and universities) and organizations that help recruit or place international students.
• Provincial and territorial governments, because they will manage and issue the attestation letters and their allocation shares.
• People who are exempt under the listed categories (exchange students, many primary/secondary applicants, scholarship recipients, certain pilots and public policies) are not affected by the attestation or the cap.
• If it is unclear whether a specific case is excluded, the Instructions refer to detailed paragraphs of the immigration regulations.

Why it matters#

• It makes a new, visible gatekeeper: without a provincial or territorial attestation letter, most study permit applications lodged on or after January 22, 2025 will not even be accepted for processing. Applicants could see their processing fees returned.
• The national cap of 550 162 applications limits how many new study permit applications will be accepted in 2025. If the cap fills, applicants could be blocked from applying until allocations change.
• Provinces and territories effectively control access by issuing attestation letters, so where a student wants to study may matter more than before.
• For students, schools, and recruiters, this could mean added paperwork, more coordination with provincial authorities, and possible delays or rejections if allocations are exhausted.