On April 5, 2024, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced the finalized provincial and territorial allocations for international student study permit applications for the year 2024. These allocations are integral to the national cap on study permits recently implemented to regulate the influx of international students into Canada.

You may want to read:
Canada to Implement a 2-year Cap on New International Student Permit
How to Get a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)| Canada Study Permit

Net Zero First Year Growth Model

The national cap operates on a Net Zero First Year Growth Model, intending to sustain the number of international students entering Canada in 2024 at a level akin to the number of expiring study permits for that year. Adjustments were made to accommodate permit extensions and exemptions for specific student cohorts.

The calculations are as follows:

Target new study permits approved 2024
= “Study permits expiring in 2024” – “Exempted groups and buffer”
= 485,000 – 249,400
= 235,600
*Exempted groups include primary and secondary school students, as well as master’s or doctoral degree students. The buffer incorporates students applying for an extension.

Cap Space allocated to Provinces and Territories
= “Target new study permits approved 2024” / “Approval Rate”
= 235,600 / 60%
= 392,667

In short, IRCC aims to approve 236,000 study permits from roughly 393,000 applications.

Provincial and Territorial Allocations

Provincial and territorial allocations are based on population share. Provinces anticipating more international students in 2024 than in 2023 are subject to a 10% growth limitation compared to the previous year. 

Additional application allocations were dispensed to provinces with lower approval rates to assist them in reaching their anticipated number of approved study permits. Consequently, approximately 552,000 study permit applications have been apportioned to provinces and territories under the national cap. 

Final Allocation for Provinces and Territories

For more details, please visit the official released statement on IRCC’s website.