2026 Study Permit Cap and Immigration Pauses

Summary#

This Canada Gazette issue publishes several government notices that change how some immigration applications are handled, update port authorities’ property lists, and publish a radio-technical standard. The biggest practical effects are a new requirement and a cap for many 2026 study-permit applications (309,670 spaces) and temporary pauses on accepting new applications for several immigration streams starting in 2026.

What it does#

• Study permits

  • Requires most study-permit applications made in 2026 to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter showing the applicant fits a province/territory’s allocated space.
  • Sets a maximum of 309,670 study-permit applications that may be accepted for processing between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026.
  • Lists many specific categories that are excluded from this requirement (for example, some renewals, exchange students, primary/secondary students, certain graduate students at public institutions, scholarships administered by Global Affairs Canada, and a few other pilots or exemptions).
  • Explains rules about expiry and reuse of attestation letters and a special reuse rule for letters from Quebec.
  • Applications received on or before December 31, 2025 that are still pending will be handled under the rules in place when they were received.

• Home care worker pilots

  • For the Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) and (Home Support) classes, the number of new applications accepted for processing per year is set to zero, effective March 31, 2026.
  • This restriction runs from March 31, 2026 until March 30, 2030, unless changed earlier.

• Start-up Business Class and Self‑Employed Persons Class

  • For both classes the number of new applications accepted per calendar year is set to zero, effective January 1, 2026, until further notice.
  • Start-up class exceptions:
    • Applications supported by a valid commitment certificate received by the department before 12:00 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026 may still be accepted if they meet other timing conditions.
    • Priority processing is set for accepted Start-up applications that meet conditions such as a member holding a work permit and a qualifying investor commitment: at least $200,000 from an authorized venture capital fund, or at least $75,000 from an authorized angel investor or qualifying incubator. Applications are otherwise ordered by the rules described (priority categories, then first-in/first-out).

• Port authorities (property and administration updates)

  • Quebec Port Authority, Sept-Îles Port Authority, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority have supplementary letters patent that add, remove or correct descriptions of specific lots, PIDs and underground services. Each amendment takes effect on the stated condition (for example, on transfer countersignature or on registration of sale).

• Radio standard

  • Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada published SRSP‑512, issue 2, the technical requirements for land mobile and fixed radio services in the 220–222 MHz band. The document is now official and available online.

Who's affected#

• Prospective international students and the institutions that admit them. The attestation letter and the 309,670 cap will affect many people applying for study permits in 2026. Provincial and territorial governments are also involved because they issue the attestation letters and manage allocations.
• Applicants in categories expressly excluded from the new study-permit rules (for example, exchange students, primary/secondary students, certain graduate students at public institutions, scholarship holders) will generally not be affected.
• People planning to apply under the Home Care Worker pilots, the Start-up Business Class, or the Self‑Employed Persons Class: new applications in those streams will largely not be accepted from 2026, with limited exceptions for some Start‑up cases already backed by valid commitments.
• Applicants who already submitted paperwork by the end of 2025 may be treated under the old rules (for study permits).
• Local governments, businesses, and users of port lands in Quebec, Sept‑Îles, and the Vancouver/Fraser area: changes to which port authority manages which lots could affect land management, operations or planning.
• Companies and organizations that operate or supply equipment for the 220–222 MHz band (land mobile and fixed radio): they should review SRSP‑512, issue 2 for the updated technical requirements.

Why it matters#

• The study-permit cap and the attestation-letter rule make provinces and territories gatekeepers for many 2026 study-permit applications. That can slow or limit how many international students are accepted for study in Canada that year. It may affect applicants’ plans, college and university intake, and local services that support students.
• Setting intake to zero for several immigration streams signals a pause while the government manages application backlogs. That pause could delay permanent-residence pathways for caregivers, entrepreneurs and self-employed applicants. A few narrowly defined Start-up applications can still proceed, but only if they meet strict timing and investor-commitment rules.
• Changes to port authorities’ property lists are mostly administrative. But they can matter locally for who manages waterfront land, which can affect development, maintenance and operations around ports.
• Publishing the updated radio standard matters to businesses and public services that use the 220–222 MHz band. The standard defines technical rules they must follow to operate legally and to avoid interference.