Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made impactful changes to the Canadian International Student Program on January 22, implementing a new cap on study permit approvals for 2024 and a new provincial verification letter policy for international students applying for study permits.

In the wake of these announcements, prospective international students have many questions about how these new changes will be implemented and what impact this may have on their study permit chances. This article will cover some of the most common questions about studying in Canada and attempt to clarify what details have been revealed by IRCC so far.

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When will these new changes come into effect?

IRCC has implemented the new study permit cap, and the verification letter process is starting from January 22, when the initial announcement was made. This means that, during the rest of the year, only 360,000 study permit applications will be approved.

However, what may cause some confusion is that the process for issuing verification letters by provincial and territorial governments is yet to be finalized. Provinces and territories have until March 31 this year to implement this process.

I have an acceptance letter and am planning to arrive in Canada soon, will these changes affect me?

The new changes to the International Student Programme will apply to all those who have not submitted their study permit application before January 22, 2024.

This means that even if you have received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to study at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) – unless you applied for your study permit before 22 January, you will be subject to these new policies.

Do I have to wait until March 31 to apply for a study permit?

At the time of writing, it is unclear whether international students will have to wait until the end of March to apply for their study permits.

More specifically, the responsibility now rests on Canadian provinces and territories to develop a process for issuing verification letters to international students. If provincial/territorial governments can establish this framework before March 31, international students will be able to apply for their study permits early.

Are there any study permit applications after January 22nd that are exempt from this new limit and process?

According to IRCC, some study permit applications will not be subject to these new changes. These are:

• Minor children applying for admission to primary or secondary school (kindergarten to grade 12);
• Students applying to attend a Masters, PhD or other postgraduate programme; and/or
• Students applying to extend/renew their study permit.

Do I need to seek IRCC approval if I want to change my educational institution in 2024?

It is not yet clear what the process will be for international students who wish to change their DLI in the coming year. IRCC may provide more clarity on this as the year progresses.

Is this a permanent change to the International Student Program?

According to a January 22 release, the new international student limit and verification letter process is a temporary measure that will remain in effect for the next two years. IRCC has said it will reevaluate the cap imposed on international students for 2025 later this year.

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