Study Permit Attestation and Cap

Summary#

These are the 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 under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. They require a provincial or territorial attestation letter for many new study-permit applications and cap the number of such applications accepted for processing at 606,250 for a one-year period. The Instructions take effect on August 26, 2024.

What it does#

• Requires any study permit application that falls under these Instructions and that was received on or after January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter in order to be accepted for processing.
• Sets a maximum of 606,250 study permit applications (within the scope of the Instructions) that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration will accept for processing for the one-year period beginning January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST.
• If the cap is reached, further applications in scope received after that point will not be accepted for processing and applicants’ processing fees will be returned.
• Applications subject to these Instructions that were received on or after January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST but do not include the required attestation letter will not be accepted and fees will be returned.
• Provinces and territories were given individual shares of the 606,250 total as set out in a Ministerial Statement published April 5, 2024.
• The Instructions spell out a list of clear exclusions. Notably excluded are:
  • applications for primary- or secondary-school study;
  • applications for graduate-level programs (master’s or doctoral);
  • recipients of certain scholarships administered by Global Affairs Canada;
  • participants selected for the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot;
  • certain other specific categories set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and in related rules (these are technical categories in the regulations).

Who's affected#

• Prospective international students applying for a study permit under the student class who submitted their application on or after January 22, 2024, 8:30 EST and who are not in one of the excluded categories.
• Provinces and territories, because they must issue the attestation letters and were allocated shares of the application cap.
• Colleges, universities and other institutions that recruit or host international students may see effects on incoming enrolment and how they coordinate with provincial authorities.
• Immigration representatives and employers who help applicants prepare documents will need to account for the new attestation requirement.
• Some groups are not affected (see exclusions above). The full list of technical exclusions is defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Why it matters#

• This changes how many new international student applications Canada will accept for processing and adds a new, province-controlled step before an application can be processed. That can slow or limit the number of students whose applications are processed.
• Provinces now play a gatekeeping role through attestation letters, which could affect how institutions recruit students and how quickly applicants get a decision.
• Applicants who file without the attestation, or who apply after the cap is reached, will have their fees returned and their applications will not be processed — meaning they must secure the attestation or try again later.
• The rules exclude key groups (like graduate students and some scholarship holders), so not all international students are affected.