2025 Study Permit Attestation and Cap

Summary#

These are ministerial instructions from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration about how Canada will accept study permit applications in 2025. From January 22, 2025 applicants whose files fall under these instructions must include a provincial or territorial attestation letter, and the government has set a cap of 550 162 applications for the period January 22, 2025 to December 31, 2025.

What it does#

• Requires that any study permit application made on or after January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST (and within the scope of these instructions) include a provincial or territorial attestation letter for the 2025 allocation year. Applications without that letter will not be accepted for processing and processing fees will be returned.
• Sets the maximum number of study permit applications that can be accepted for processing in the year:
  • The number of applications remaining under the cap that ends January 21, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST will be the maximum accepted for the period January 1–21, 2025 (per previously issued MI79).
  • A maximum of 550 162 applications may be accepted between January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST and December 31, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST.
• Allocates shares of the 550 162 application cap to provinces and territories; those jurisdictions received letters from the Minister outlining their shares.
• Exempts certain categories of study permit applications from these conditions and the cap (see “Who’s affected” for details).
• Applies 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 not decided will be handled under MI79.
  • Applications received before January 1, 2025 that are not decided will be handled under the instructions in force when they were received.
• Takes effect January 22, 2025 at 12:00 A.M. EST and expires December 31, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. EST.

Who's affected#

• Prospective international students applying for a study permit in the student class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. They will need a provincial or territorial attestation letter for their application to be accepted if their application falls within the scope of these instructions.
• Provinces and territories, which received allocations of the 550 162 applications and must issue attestation letters for their share.
• Designated learning institutions and recruitment offices, which may see effects on student intake timing and paperwork.
• Immigration consultants and representatives who help students prepare applications.

Excluded from the requirement and cap (these applicants do not need the attestation letter under these instructions):

• Exchange students.
• Applicants for primary or secondary school study permits.
• Students renewing a study permit at the same designated learning institution and at the same level of study, where covered by the cited exceptions.
• Recipients of scholarships for non-Canadians administered and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
• Foreign nationals selected under the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot.
• People covered by specified public policies tied to migration responses to crisis or by the Temporary public policy exempting certain Indigenous persons and family members from temporary residence requirements.

If it is unclear whether a particular application fits the instructions’ scope, the notice indicates that those details are defined in the instructions and related regulations.

Why it matters#

• Prospective international students who file applications on or after January 22, 2025 without a provincial or territorial attestation letter will have their application rejected for processing and their fees returned. That can cause delays and require reapplication.
• Provinces and territories now control how many new study-permit applications from their jurisdiction will be accepted in 2025. That can affect how many students each province admits and the timing of admissions.
• The cap of 550 162 applications for the bulk of 2025 is a clear numeric limit. Once it is reached, additional eligible applications will not be accepted for processing.
• Schools that recruit international students may need to adjust intake plans, communications, and offer letters to ensure students can get the required attestation before applying.
• The notice makes clear some categories are exempt, so not all applicants are affected. The exact number of applications remaining for the January 1–21, 2025 cap period is not stated in the notice.