Study Permit Attestation and Application Cap

Summary#

These are new ministerial instructions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Marc Miller. They say many new study permit applications must include a provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter, and they set a one‑year limit of 606,250 study permit applications accepted for processing starting January 22, 2024, 8:30 Eastern standard time (EST). The instructions take effect on August 26, 2024.

What it does#

• Requires that study permit applications in scope include a provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter showing the applicant has a spot within the province/territory’s allocation.
• Says applications received on or after January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST that do not include that attestation will not be accepted for processing and their fees will be returned.
• Sets a cap of 606,250 study permit applications that can be accepted for processing during the one‑year period beginning January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST. Once that cap is reached, later applications in scope will not be accepted and fees will be returned.
• Notes that provinces and territories were given shares of the 606,250 total (allocation details were published separately).
• Revokes and replaces the earlier instructions of the same title published on July 6, 2024.
• Excludes several categories from these requirements, including (in plain terms):
  • certain in‑Canada status changes and other specific regulatory categories;
  • applicants planning to study at the primary or secondary school level;
  • applicants planning to study in a master’s or doctoral program;
  • applicants at certain designated learning institutions and those holding certain scholarships administered by Global Affairs Canada;
  • participants in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot and people covered by specific public‑policy exemptions used for crisis responses.

Who's affected#

• Prospective international students who need a study permit under the student class and whose applications fall within the listed scope.
• Provincial and territorial governments, because they must issue the required attestation letters and were given shares of the overall cap.
• Designated learning institutions, recruiters, and immigration advisers who help students apply.
• Some groups are explicitly not affected (e.g., certain in‑Canada students, primary/secondary applicants, master’s/doctoral applicants, certain scholarship recipients and pilot participants). If you are unsure whether the exclusion applies to you, the instructions list detailed categories that may require checking with an official source.

Why it matters#

• It changes how and how many international students can start the formal Canadian study‑permit process. Applicants now need a provincial/territorial sign‑off before their application will be accepted.
• The numeric cap (606,250) could mean applications submitted after the cap is reached are returned, even if otherwise complete. That affects timing for students, and planning and recruitment for colleges and universities.
• Provinces and territories will play a more active gate‑keeping role, since they control the attestation letters and their allocation.
• Fees will be returned for applications that arrive without the attestation or after the cap is filled, which can delay or disrupt students’ plans.