Dear Future Neighbour,
Canada announces rules for international students on Monday, February 5, 2024. These rules have been set to properly guide and inform the students, also for the best interest of the students.
See below the five rules for international students coming into Canada
1. Increase in Cost of Living: From January 1, 2024, apart from the tuition fee and travel expenses for Canada study permit, all applicants are expected to have an additional fee of $20,635 for cost of living requirement. However, this amount increases if the student plans to come into Canada with a family member(s).
See below Canada Study Permit funds requirement
| Number of family members (including the applicant) |
Amount of funds required per year (not including 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 |
| If there are more than seven people, each additional family member |
CAN$5,559 |
2. Cap on International Students coming into Canada: Canada intends to take in 606,250 candidates in 2024 out of which 360,000 will be for new study permit. This cap on international students does not include:
- new study permit applications or extensions from within Canada
- study permit applications to study at the primary school or secondary school level
- study permit applications to study in a graduate degree program at the master’s or doctorate level.
3. New Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) Requirement: Applications submitted after 8:30am, Toronto time on Monday, January 22, 2024 are required to provide a provincial attestation letter from the province where they intend to study. The process is still ongoing by the federal government on the issuance of PAL by the province, however by March 31, 2024, the process should be effected.
The following groups are exempted from the PAL requirement for new study permit applications:
- to study in a preschool, primary school or secondary school (up to grade 12)
- to study in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program or
- for study permit extension from within Canada
4. Spousal Open Work Permit Eligibility Change: Henceforth, Canada only intends to give open work permits to spouses of international students on master’s and doctorate degree programs. International students at other levels of study, such as undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.
5. Changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Eligibility: Set to take effect from February 15, 2024, master’s degree graduate who complete program in less than two years and meet all the PGWP requirements will be eligible for a longer three-year post-graduation work permit.
However, the length of PGWPs for programs other than master’s degrees remains same with the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years.
Also, from September 1, 2024, international students who commence a study program as part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a post-graduate employment permit after graduation.
Need help obtaining a visitor visa to visit Canada, or professional help putting in a study visa application, work permit application, Expression of Interest, creating an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Book a consultation or send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com
