Study Permit Cap and Express Entry Changes

Summary#

Two sets of ministerial instructions from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration were published. One changes what information is collected from people in the Express Entry pool. The other sets new rules for which study permit applications will be accepted for processing and puts a one-year cap of 606,250 applications starting January 22, 2024, at 8:30 EST.

What it does#

• Ministerial Instructions Amending the Ministerial Instructions Respecting the Express Entry System, 2024-2

  • Adds new questions for Express Entry profiles asking:
    • whether the person currently lives in Canada and, if so, which province;
    • the province where their work experience was gained;
    • whether they studied in Canada and, if so, which province;
    • if they studied in Canada, whether it was at a designated learning institution and that institution’s designated learning institution number.

• Ministerial Instructions with respect to the processing of certain applications for a study permit made by a foreign national as a member of the student class

  • Requires most new study permit applications (received on or after January 22, 2024, at 8:30 EST) to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter showing the applicant has a spot in that jurisdiction’s allocation.
  • Limits the number of such study permit applications that will be accepted for processing to 606,250 for one year starting January 22, 2024, at 8:30 EST.
  • Applications in scope received after that cap is reached, or applications that lack the attestation letter, will not be accepted for processing and processing fees will be returned.
  • Lists several types of applications that are excluded from these conditions, including (but not limited to):
    • some applications from people who already had student status in Canada;
    • primary and secondary school study permits;
    • graduate degree (master’s and doctoral) study permits;
    • certain designated learning institution categories;
    • recipients of certain scholarships funded by Global Affairs Canada;
    • people covered by specific public policy exemptions used in crisis responses.
  • These study-permit instructions revoke and replace the previous version published on January 22, 2024.
  • Both sets of instructions took effect on the date they were signed (June 26, 2024).

Who's affected#

• People in the Express Entry pool. They will be asked to provide more detailed location and schooling information.
• Foreign nationals applying for study permits under the student class who submitted applications on or after January 22, 2024, at 8:30 EST and who are not in an excluded category.
• Provincial and territorial governments, because they issue the attestation letters and were given allocation shares.
• Designated learning institutions and international student recruiters, who may see changes in application patterns because of the cap and attestation requirement.
• Some groups are explicitly excluded (see the list above). If it is unclear whether a particular application type is excluded, the instructions themselves list the technical categories.

Why it matters#

• For Express Entry candidates, the government will start collecting more location and school identifiers. That could affect how applications are screened, matched to provinces, or analyzed — and it means applicants must provide more precise information about where they lived, worked or studied in Canada.
• For prospective international students, the study-permit cap and the attestation letter mean having provincial backing is now essential for most applications submitted on or after January 22, 2024, at 8:30 EST. Without that attestation, an application won’t be accepted and the fee will be returned.
• Provinces and territories now control entry into processing through their attestation slots, which could change recruitment strategies for schools and where students choose to apply.
• Some applicants (for example, scholarship holders or graduate students) are not affected because they are excluded from these rules. The instructions list those exclusions in detail.