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Routes to Canada: student or trainee
Canada: studying is possible but capped, and the funds and language bars have risen
Study permits are capped nationally and the 2026 plan allows about 155,000 new arrivals, so a place at a college does not guarantee a permit. Most applicants need a provincial attestation letter (Quebec uses a CAQ), and proof of living funds rose to CAD 23,448 for one person from 1 September 2026. Off-campus work is limited to 24 hours a week in term. A post-graduation work permit needs CLB 5 or 7 and, for non-degree programmes, an eligible field. IRCC publishes no fixed timeline.
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0 study paths are named in Canada's official demand list, ranked below.
What Canada wants, in its own order
This order is the official shortage analysis, not our opinion. The source is linked under the list.
The routes
Each route below is a separate permit with its own listed requirements. A requirement you do not meet can stop an application for that route, however strong the rest of the case is. A requirement we cannot confirm is shown as unknown, not as a failure.
Study permit
Preview — under verificationCapped nationally: IRCC expects about 155,000 new study permit holders in 2026, down from a 2025 target of 305,900 against 115,470 actual new arrivals, and most applications need a provincial attestation letter.
Who this is for
- Applicants accepted by a designated learning institution (DLI) who can prove funds
You must have every one of these
- Enrolled at a designated learning institution.
- Funds for first-year tuition, living costs and return travel; living costs for applications from 1 September 2026 are CAD 23,448 per year for one person (CAD 29,192 for two), excluding tuition and transport.
- A provincial or territorial attestation letter for studies outside Quebec, unless exempt (for example master's or doctoral degrees at public institutions from 1 January 2026). Quebec uses a CAQ instead.
- No criminal record, a police certificate if required, and a medical exam if required.
- Convince an officer you will leave Canada when the permit ends.
Source: IRCC - Study permit: who can apply (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · IRCC - Provincial and territorial attestation letter (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · IRCC - Study permit: proof of financial support (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · IRCC - International students (committee note, Apr 2026) (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2026-08-18; Government or public body) · IRCC - Work off campus as an international student (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · IRCC - Fee list (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
Preview — under verificationAn open work permit after a qualifying programme, but non-degree graduates must have studied an eligible field and all need CLB 5 or 7 language scores.
Who this is for
- Graduates of PGWP-eligible programmes at designated institutions
You must have every one of these
- Programme at least 8 months long, studied full-time every semester (part-time allowed in the final one).
- Language: CLB 7 (or NCLC 7) for degrees and other university programmes; CLB 5 (NCLC 5) for college programmes.
- Non-degree graduates must have studied a programme on the eligible field-of-study list; bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates are exempt. The list is frozen for 2026.
- Apply within 180 days of confirmation of completion.
Source: IRCC - Post-graduation work permit: who can apply (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body) · IRCC - PGWP field of study requirement (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2025-03-10; Government or public body) · IRCC - Fee list (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
What it costs
Costs are shown in CAD as the cited source states them, with the unit the source gives. We do not convert currencies. A line with no stated unit or date is marked as such and is not an exact official charge.
Source: IRCC - Study permit: proof of financial support (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
CAD 23,448Your own money, not an expenseSource: IRCC - Fee list (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
CAD 150You paySource: IRCC - Fee list (checked 2026-11-07; Government or public body)
CAD 85 to CAD 170You payHow long it takes
Timeline not published by the authority
IRCC does not publish a fixed timeline. Its processing-times tool shows how long it expects an application received today to take, counted from a complete application until a decision, and it is not a maximum or guarantee. The figures load only in a browser tool and were not captured, so none are shown here.
Published figures for this route
Published figures on how often this route is used, with their sources.
Up to 408,000 permits expected, of which 155,000 for newly arriving students and 253,000 extensions. Counts permits, not origin flows.
2026 study permit plan
Source: IRCC - International students (committee note, Apr 2026) (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2026-08-18; Government or public body)
115,470 against a levels-plan target of 305,900.
2025 new student arrivals
Source: IRCC - International students (committee note, Apr 2026) (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2026-08-18; Government or public body)
Up to 150,000 new international students a year.
2027 to 2029 plan
Source: IRCC - 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan (5 Nov 2026) (checked 2026-11-07; document dated 2026-11-05; Government or public body)
Documents, insurance, housing and money
These needs are the same whichever track you choose, so they are published once for Canada, with sources and check dates.
Quick answers
Which routes to Canada exist on the student or trainee track?
Canada: studying is possible but capped, and the funds and language bars have risen
How long does it take?
Timeline not published by the authority. IRCC does not publish a fixed timeline. Its processing-times tool shows how long it expects an application received today to take, counted from a complete application until a decision, and it is not a maximum or guarantee. The figures load only in a browser tool and were not captured, so none are shown here.
How much does it cost?
The published costs on this page are in different currencies, so there is no single total. Items that are not in that total, such as proof of funds or later permit fees, are labelled on this page where our sources state them.