Canada is looking to attract more international students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees as the country reshapes its international education programme, moving away from its earlier reliance on undergraduate students and those enrolled in certificate courses.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal department responsible for immigration, said the country was shifting its focus towards university-level education even as the overall number of international students arriving in Canada continued to decline.
According to the department, university students accounted for 40% of new study permit holders in 2025, compared with 30% in 2024. The change reflects Canada’s efforts to attract students pursuing higher qualifications and strengthen the contribution of international graduates to its economy and public services. The proportion of master’s and doctoral students among new study permit holders has also increased.
Between January and July 2026, students enrolled in these programmes accounted for 21% of newly issued study permits, compared with 12% in 2025, IRCC said. The department attributed this shift to measures introduced to make Canada a more attractive destination for students pursuing postgraduate research and advanced degrees.
These include simplified application requirements and faster processing arrangements for eligible applicants. Under the measures, Canada has introduced a two-week processing timeline for new doctoral students. It has also removed the requirement for master’s and doctoral students enrolling in degree-granting programmes at public institutions to obtain a provincial or territorial attestation letter, a document previously required as part of the study permit application process.
The measures are intended to make the application process more straightforward for graduate students and encourage talented candidates to pursue advanced education at Canadian institutions. IRCC said it expected the trend towards graduate-level education to continue as additional measures aimed at postgraduate students were introduced.
The department reiterated that Canada would continue to welcome a sustainable number of talented international students while creating targeted opportunities to retain skilled graduates who could contribute to economic growth and strengthen public services. The shift comes as Canada continues to tighten its international student programme following concerns about the rapid growth in student numbers and the sustainability of the existing system.
The government has taken steps in recent years to reduce overall international student admissions while placing greater emphasis on the quality of applicants and their potential contribution to the country. The latest figures highlight the scale of the decline in student arrivals.
Canada recorded 28,200 new international student arrivals between January and July 2026, an 80% decrease compared with the corresponding period in 2025. Despite the sharp fall in overall arrivals, the increasing share of university-level and postgraduate students indicates a change in the composition of Canada’s international student population.
Rather than focusing primarily on increasing enrolments, the country is seeking to attract students with advanced academic qualifications and skills that align with its economic and public-service requirements. The government has described its approach as a move towards a more targeted and sustainable International Student Program.
Its stated objective is to balance international education with the country’s broader immigration priorities while ensuring that educational institutions continue to attract talented students. For prospective international students, particularly those considering master’s and doctoral programmes, the revised approach provides a more streamlined route for certain study permit applications.
However, applicants must continue to meet the relevant admission, financial and immigration requirements. Canada’s policy shift signals a recalibration of its international education strategy, with graduate students and skilled talent increasingly at the centre of efforts to attract international students while keeping overall arrivals under control.
