Recently, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (PEI) disclosed their study permit allocations for 2024. Nova Scotia has set a target of 12,900 study permits, while PEI aims to issue 2,000 permits to international students this year.
On January 22, the federal government announced a study permit cap to stabilize Canada’s international student population and improve the sustainability of the system. Canada plans to grant a total of 360,000 study permits to international students in 2024, marking a 35% reduction compared to 2023.
The study permit cap corresponds to the total number of Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) a province may grant to international students. Provinces have the discretion to allocate these permits to students who have already received a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
It’s important to note that the study permit cap does not apply to international students enrolled in master’s or graduate-level degree programs, current study permit holders, or students seeking permit renewals.
As of now, international students applying for a study permit need to include a PAL in their final applications along with the letter of acceptance (LOA).
Nova Scotia and PEI Announced Study Permit Allocations
The following are the details on study permit allocations for Nova Scotia, and PEI announced by the province. Â
Nova ScotiaÂ
The province of Nova Scotia has recently publicized the details of its study permit allocation for post-secondary institutions.
The province has stated that the federal government has allocated 12,900 study permits for 2024 to it. Â
This is almost 7,000 study permits, fewer than the total permits the province approved in 2023. In October 2023, Nova Scotia had roughly 16,000 international students enrolled full-time.
According to the province, study permits will be distributed among 32 designated learning institutions (DLIs). DLIs are the post-secondary institutions in Canada that are only allowed to admit students from overseas. IRCC stated that there are 41 DLIs in the province of Nova Scotia.
The following is the study permit distribution plan:
- Around 11,565 permits are allocated to 10 universities in the province and Nova Scotia Community College;
- 710 to around 12 private career colleges in the province, and
- 526 to nine language schools in Nova Scotia.
The provincial government noted that it will reserve 99 application slots for the flexibility to adjust to unforeseen circumstances.
Nova Scotia’s Minister of Advanced Education, Brian Wong, stated that we’ve adopted a careful approach to allocating the study permit cap across the province. We’ve taken into account various factors, such as allocating it to our high-demand programs and community growth management.
However, we’ll continue to urge the federal government for more allocations.
Prince Edward Island
The province of Prince Edward Island, or PEI, also announced its study permit allocation for 2024. On March 7, PEI declared that it would issue about 2,000 study permits to international students.
According to PEI, the study permits will be distributed among the following three DLIs:
- 105 study permits to College de l’Ile.
- 710 study permits to Holland College.
- 1185 study permits to the University of Prince Edward Island.Â
The Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning, & Population in the province will supply PALs to DLIs.
Then, the DLIs will provide these PALs to international students as a component of their federal student permit application.
Study Permit Allocations in Other Canadian Provinces
Earlier this month, Ontario and British Columbia published their plan for distributing their PALs.
Ontario’s 96% of study permit allocation will go to public universities and colleges. The remaining 4% will be spread between the province’s language schools, private universities, and other institutions. Till now, Ontario has not revealed how many study permits it has been granted by the federal government.Â
British Columbia announced that it would distribute around 83,000 study permits. Among them, 53% of study permits will go to public DLIs, while 47% will go to private DLIs.
