Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says it issued 6,455 new grad students permits in the second quarter of 2026, the latest period for which data is available. That compares to 3,085 in 2025.
The jump came even as the overall number of applications fell slightly. In the second quarter of this year, 23,480 international grad students sought a new or extended study permit, down about 12% from the same period last year.
Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, the government has changed its international student focus to attract master’s and PhD students to Canada. “We recognise that we need them here to grow our economy,” IRCC minister Lena Metlege Diab told a meeting in Halifax in January.
Canada implemented a cap on the number of international study permits in 2024, with then-minister Marc Miller arguing that some programs were the educational equivalent of “puppy mills”. Many international students weren’t even attending classes, he claimed.
Prior to the cap, some college and university undergrad programs were recruiting international students to help meet their budget challenges. Overseas students pay much higher tuition fees than Canadians; therefore, each international student generates more revenue.
IRCC spokesperson Melissa Zeroual says the new policy is reflected in study permit approvals this year. “The number of study permits issued to master’s and doctoral students represented 12% of the total in 2025 – and 21% so far this year.”
While many universities won’t report their grad student enrolment figures until the end of the year, the University of British Columbia (UBC) is one school that said the number of applications is up.
The number of study permits issued to master’s and doctoral students represented 12% of the total in 2025 – and 21% so far this year
Melissa Zeroual, IRCC
“International graduate student applications have increased 15% in 2026, with a 30% increase for doctoral programs,” said Shane Moore, marketing and recruitment manager in the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies. UBC cites strong interest among students from the United States, India, Nigeria and Iran.
Earlier this year, the Liberal government exempted grad students from the requirement to have a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL or TAL). These letters show that a province or territory has accounted for the student under its allocation of study permits for the year.
“This exemption removes an administrative barrier for graduate students in recognition of their unique contribution to Canada’s economic growth and innovation,” said Zeroual.
The government has also promised PhD applicants that their paperwork will be processed within 14 days.
The increase in foreign grad students is not a temporary phenomenon, Zeroual said. “IRCC is expecting this trend to continue with new measures directed at graduate students in 2026 and a continued focus on attracting talent at the master’s and PhD level.”
Robert Asselin, head of the U15 organisation of Canada’s top research universities, says the growth is “great news because we need more grad students, especially at the doctoral level.”
He credits Prime Minister Carney’s efforts to build international partnerships in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty. “This has had a tremendous impact on our brand and our attractiveness to international students,” Asselin said.
