The Canadian government has announced major changes to attract international graduate students, shortly after it cut the international student enrollment cap by 50 per cent.

Beginning January 1, 2026, students enrolling in master’s or doctoral programmes at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) will no longer be subject to provincial or territorial attestation requirements (PAL/TAL) and will be exempt from the national enrolment cap, ICEF Monitor reports.

Additionally, applications for study permits by doctoral candidates from abroad will now be processed within 14 days. This expedited route will extend to accompanying family members, provided they apply alongside the student.

Regarding these measures, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says, “Canada recognises the important contributions doctoral degree students make to Canada’s research ecosystem and innovation agenda, including advancements in critical sectors like health care. Faster processing will make it that much easier for high-performing international doctoral students to pursue their education, research and post-graduation career here.”

These measures signal a targeted push for high-level international talent in research-and innovation-driven sectors such as healthcare.

Previously, graduate students made up just over 10 per cent of international study permits issued in 2023 (approximately 53,000 permits).

With these reforms, Canada could welcome an additional 30,000–50,000 advanced-degree students in 2026, even with the cap cut, reports ICEF Monitor.

In addition, IRCC has recently launched a specific landing page for graduate students that highlights some of these new incentives, including accelerated processing for doctorate students and a cap exemption for graduate students enrolled in public universities as of January 1, 2026.