Canada's Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) Minister Marc Miller has unveiled details of the national cap on study permits for international students in 2024. This cap, known as the Net Zero First Year Growth Model, aims to maintain a steady number of international students entering Canada.
The plan sets a target of welcoming 485,000 new international students in 2024, based on the expected number of study permits expiring this year. However, adjustments were made to account for factors such as students applying for extensions annually, resulting in a revised target of 364,000 approved study permits.
To achieve this target, a cap of 606,000 study permit applications has been set for 2024. Certain groups of international students, such as those in primary and secondary schools or pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees, are exempt from this cap.
Adjustments were made based on data from 2023, resulting in a target of 236,000 approved study permits. This allocation was distributed among provinces and territories based on population share, with provinces experiencing growth exceeding 10% and having their allocations adjusted to limit growth.
Overall, approximately 552,000 study permit applications have been allocated to provinces and territories under the national cap, expected to yield approximately 292,000 approved study permits. This represents a 28% reduction from 2023 for the groups included under the cap.
Various factors may impact the actual number of new international students arriving in Canada in 2024, including provinces and territories utilizing their full allocations, changes in approval rates, and potential in-year adjustments.
