In connection with many previous changes, Canada has finally introduced a quota for the allocation of study permits for each province of Canada. As announced before, the country wants to evenly distribute the international students all around Canada. This will help not to overcrowd the major cities. Along with this, the international student visa stream will also be capped. The quota has been distributed as follows:
Canada province-wise new quota for international students
| Province/Territory | PT Allocations (A) | Projected Study Permits Approved (B) | Change from 2023 (%) | Top-Up (C) | Revised PT Allocations with Top-Up (A+C) | Projected Study Permits Approved (same as B) |
| Alberta | 40,894 | 24,537 | +10 | N/A | 40,894 | 24,537 |
| British Columbia | 83,000 | 49,800 | -18 | N/A | 83,000 | 49,800 |
| Manitoba | 15,233 | 9,140 | -10 | 3,420 | 18,652 | 9,140 |
| New Brunswick | 9,279 | 5,567 | -10 | 5,372 | 14,651 | 5,567 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2,365 | 1,419 | +10 | 788 | 3,153 | 1,419 |
| Northwest Territories | 333 | 200 | +4900 | N/A | 333 | 200 |
| Nova Scotia | 12,906 | 7,744 | -10 | 7,472 | 20,378 | 7,744 |
| Nunavut | 333 | 200 | +6567 | N/A | 333 | 200 |
| Ontario | 235,000 | 141,000 | -41 | N/A | 235,000 | 141,000 |
| Prince Edward Island | 2,004 | 1,202 | -10 | 308 | 2.312 | 1,202 |
Ontario topped the chart by receiving most of the quota as expected. The province will be able to welcome 235,000 new students at its 530 designated learning institutions. As per the announcement of the province, 96% of this quota will be reserved for public institutions.
Quebec to follow, with a 117,917 quota for international students. British Columbia with 83,000 and Alberta will be able to have 40,894.
Quota allocation standards
The quota allocation standards have been as as per:
- Population of the province or the territories;
- Those provinces that are to get more students in 2024 compared to 2023 will be capped at 10% of the total quota;
IRCC also topped up the allocations for provinces with an approval rate lower than 60%. This allocation of the quota has been based on previously announced changes for the student visa in Canada. The government of Canada wants to cut the number of temporary residents in the country. This is why the country introduced 2 new regulations this year:
First Change
As of 22 January 2024, announced by IRCC, an attestation letter must be included in the study permit application of the students. This attestation letter will be issued by the responsible territory or provinces where a student is going to study. According to the announcement of the IRCC, each province or territory is developing a process to get an attestation letter. These processes are expected to be in place by March 31, 2024. Further information will be released accordingly.
Second Chance
Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced that 292,000 permits will be approved for college and undergraduate students in 2024. These numbers are indeed less than the previously announced 360,000. These numbers came out when Mr Miller commented to newspaper Globe and Mail.
According to IRCC, these numbers (292,000) are excluded from cap-exempt study permits. The cap-exempt study permits are that:
- a student applying to extend his/her study permit;
- a student in a master’s, PhD, or other post-graduate program;
- a minor child in a primary or secondary school (kindergarten to grade 12).