Canada is inviting 505,162 students in 2025

Highlights: IRCC set to invite 505,162 students in 2025 

• IRCC announced the cap for Canada study permit of 2025 on January 18, 2025.
• The Canadian government has capped study permits at 505,162 for 2025. 
• The new cap for Canada study permit will be effective from January 22 to December 31, 2025. 
• Candidates looking to renew their study permit at the same DLI and Temporary residency permit holders are exempt from the Canada Study permit processing cap.

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Canada Study Permit Processing Cap for 2025 

The IRCC processing target for study permit applications is set at 505,162, which is less than the 606,250 applications they processed last year. In 2024, IRCC approved 364,000 study permit applications, though it still has not approved the number of study permits it aimed to approve this year. 

According to the 2025-2027 Immigration Level Plans, IRCC will welcome 305,900 new students. This is not the approved number of study permits but the number of new international students IRCC aims to welcome to Canada yearly.
 

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Applicants who are exempt from the processing of Canada Study permit cap 

Under the new ministerial instructions, some applicants are exempt from the study permit cap; those applicants are: 

• Want to renew their study permit at the same DLI at the same level of study for which they are currently holding a permit.
• Subject to an unenforceable removal order as well as holder of a temporary resident permit that is valid for at least six months
• Who are: 

• Being sponsored by Canadian residents for immigration under land sponsorship 
• Are protected persons 
• Applied to become Canada PR and received an exemption order for a study permit 
• family member of the above-mentioned person 
• Applying to study at a DLI that is administered by a department and agency 
• Received scholarships for non-Canadians that are administered and funded by Global affair Canada
• Have been selected to participate in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot
• Living in Canada or entering Canada and applying under the provision of a public policy enacted by the federal immigration minister in response to a crisis or other pressure
• Exempt from the need to apply for a study permit as it is set out in Temporary public policy 
   

Difference between the applications that are processed and the applications that are approved

The total number of 505,162 applications set out for the cap represents the number of applications that would be processed by IRCC, not the applications that are approved. As the implementation of the international student cap is on January 22, 2024, IRCC opted to cap the number of study permit applications that will be processed. 

IRCC implemented the study permit to reduce the number of study permits and consider those already in Canada and those who will extend their status there. These are two points that IRCC considered before putting a processing cap, within which it will seek to meet the approvals target for the coming year. 
 

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