5 New Rules For International Students in Canada (2024)
As of January 1, 2024, a revised cost of living requirement for an international student is $20,635, in addition to the initial year’s tuition and travel expenses.
Number of Family Members (including applicant)
Amount of Funds Required per Year (excluding tuition)
1 CAN$20,635
2 CAN$25,690
3 CAN$31,583
4 CAN$38,346
5 CAN$43,492
6 CAN$49,051
7 CAN$54,611
Each additional family member beyond seven is CAN$5,559
Canada has implemented a cap on visas for international students, reducing the issuance of permits by approximately 35%. The total number of permits for 2024 is capped at 606,250, with only 360,000 new study permits slated for approval.
Exemption: Certain categories are excluded from this cap, including new study permit applications or extensions from within Canada, primary and secondary school level study permit applications, and graduate degree program study permit applications.
Effective January 22, 2024, most new study permit applications must include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province or territory of intended study. The process for issuing PALs at the provincial or territorial level is currently under development, with anticipated implementation by March 31, 2024.
Exemption: The PAL requirement does not apply to applicants intending to study at the preschool, primary, or secondary school levels, pursue master’s or doctoral degrees, or extend study permits from within Canada.
Open work permits will henceforth be exclusively offered to spouses of international students enrolled in master’s and doctoral degree programs. Spouses of students at other academic levels, such as undergraduate and college programs, will no longer qualify.
Eligibility Criteria:
Limited to spouses and common-law partners of students pursuing graduate and professional degree programs.
Spouses and common-law partners of international students seeking to extend existing work permits will retain eligibility.
Exclusion: Spouses and common-law partners of students in undergraduate and college programs unless already holding an open work permit under this stream.
Effective February 15, 2024, graduates completing a master’s degree program in under two years, meeting all other PGWP criteria, will qualify for an extended three-year post-graduation work permit. PGWP durations for programs other than master’s degrees will remain commensurate with the program length, up to a maximum of three years.
Eligibility for Extended PGWP:
Graduates of two-year programs in approved learning institutions.
Graduates of master’s degree programs lasting fewer than two years.
Exclusion: Commencing September 1, 2024, international students enrolled in study programs under curriculum licensing arrangements will no longer be eligible for post-graduate employment permits after graduation.
Eligibility for PGWP from Public-Private Partnership College Programs:
Current students remain eligible if meeting program criteria.
New enrollments in such programs will not qualify for post-graduation work permits.