Canada has unveiled its 2026–2028 immigration levels plan, outlining a major shift toward stabilizing population growth by reducing temporary residents, especially international students, while maintaining economic immigration targets. The update — released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — confirms that Canada is moving into a phase of population balancing, aiming to align immigration numbers with the country’s housing, healthcare, and infrastructure capacity.
Study Permits Reduced for 2026
IRCC expects to issue 408,000 study permits in 2026, including:
- 155,000 new permits for incoming international students
- 253,000 extensions for existing students
This is a 7% decrease from 2025 (target: 437,000) and a 16% decrease from 2024 (target: 485,000).
The reductions are part of a larger plan to lower Canada’s temporary migrant population to under 5% of the national population by 2027.
Who Does Not Need a PAL/TAL in 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, the following groups will be exempt from the Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) requirement:
- Master’s and PhD students at public DLIs
- Primary and secondary (K–12) students
- Certain Government of Canada priority and vulnerable groups
- Current study permit holders applying for an extension at the same DLI and level
Breakdown of Expected Study Permits for 2026
Total PAL/TAL-exempt:
- 49,000 Master’s & doctoral students
- 115,000 K–12 students
- 64,000 other exempt categories
Total PAL/TAL-required:
- 180,000 permits, allocated proportionally by provincial and territorial population.
Provincial/Territorial Allocations (PAL/TAL-Required)
Study Permits to Be Issued (180,000 total):
- Ontario — 70,074
- Quebec — 39,474
- British Columbia — 24,786
- Alberta — 21,582
- Manitoba — 6,534
- Saskatchewan — 5,436
- Nova Scotia — 4,680
- New Brunswick — 3,726
- Newfoundland & Labrador — 2,358
- Prince Edward Island — 774
- Northwest Territories — 198
- Yukon — 198
- Nunavut — 180
Maximum Study Permit Applications IRCC Will Accept for Processing (PAL/TAL-Required)
Total: 309,670 applications
(based on provincial approval trends from 2024–2025)
- Ontario — 104,780
- Quebec — 93,069
- British Columbia — 32,596
- Alberta — 32,271
- Manitoba — 11,196
- Saskatchewan — 11,349
- Nova Scotia — 8,480
- New Brunswick — 8,004
- Newfoundland & Labrador — 5,507
- Prince Edward Island — 1,376
- Northwest Territories — 785
- Yukon — 257
- Nunavut — 0
Canada’s Permanent Resident Target for 2026
- 380,000 permanent residents, with emphasis on economic immigration
- No major increases planned — focus is on “system stabilization”
Canada’s new plan signals a long-term adjustment aimed at balancing immigration with domestic capacity while still supporting economic growth.