Changes to Study Permits

The rules surrounding issuance of study permits and postgraduate work permits changed on January 22, 2024. Here are four major changes:

1. A cap of 360,000 study permits has been imposed for 2024. This is 35% less permits than were issued in 2023.
2. From now on every study permit application will require an attestation letter (whatever that is – the term is not defined) from a province or territory. Provinces and territories, though, are not obliged to establish a process for issuing attestation letters until March 31, 2024.
3. Starting September 1, 2024, postgraduate work permits will no longer be available to students who graduated from a private college that has been licenced to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college.
4. Spouses of students who are studying at the College or Bachelor degree level will no longer qualify for an open spousal work permit.