Canadian unis see first rise in undergrad study permit approvals in five years

Canadian study permit approval rates for university-level undergraduate programs rebounded to 57% in the first eight months of 2025 – the first rise recorded in five years, new IRCC data has revealed.  

While stakeholders have welcomed the uptick as an “encouraging” sign for university bachelor’s applicants, the same cannot be said for college programs, which saw approval rates plummet to an all-time low of 24% during the same period.  

“While the overall approval rate for all new postsecondary students remains low, the consistency of undergraduate approvals across provinces suggests there’s a path forward for stabilisation and success,” said ApplyBoard CEO Meti Basiri.  

He suggested the return to 57% “indicates that bachelor’s programs have successfully weathered recent policy turbulence” and are benefitting from more predictable assessment criteria.  

Elsewhere, experts have welcomed the news more tentatively, suggesting the rebound was driven by a renewed understanding among prospective students that study permit applications must be “rock solid”. 

“It’s certainly a positive indicator, but I don’t know if it’s time for hope,” said regulated Canadian immigration consultant Matthew McDonald.  

“There were a few years when IRCC was much more generous in approvals, and 2024 was a course correction,” said McDonald, who speculated that the uptick could be driven by genuine students being more careful in their financial documentation.  

ApplyBoard analysis of the data found university-level undergraduate approval rates early this year were 16% higher than 2024’s full-year average, as approval rates rose in nine of Canada’s 10 provinces.   

It revealed the continued downward trend of approval rates among postgraduate applicants which remained below 50%.  

This runs contrary to recent federal efforts to welcome postgraduate students – including exempting them from the 2026 intake cap – with the approval rate still reflecting the uncertainty and policy disruption of 2024.  

McDonald highlighted the postgraduate figures include postgraduate certificates offered by some universities, as well as private options – “not just the public university master’s programs that are currently favoured by the federal government”. 

The federal government has made no secret of its preference for international students to pursue university over college studies

Matthew McDonald, RCIC

What’s more, postgraduate applicants are generally older than bachelor’s degree candidates that tend to fit the IRCC’s “ideal” of a younger student more likely to be deemed genuine, he suggested.  

Elsewhere, the data showed just one in four college applications were approved by IRCC from January-August 2025, with Basiri highlighting the “serious implications for institutional sustainability, regional labour pipelines and student access, particularly for those who view colleges as a more applicable pathway into a high-skills or specialised job”. 

Despite some good news earlier this year when college graduates joined university students in being exempted from PGWP field of study requirements, the college sector has nevertheless borne the brunt of policy tightening and heightened scrutiny around program intent. 

Furthermore, “many college-level [study permit] refusals continue to be linked to gaps in demonstrating genuine intent, financial preparedness, or clear post-study pathway”, noted Basiri.  

“The federal government has made no secret of its preference for international students to pursue university over college studies,” said McDonald, adding that colleges might begin to see shifting approval rates as they re-align program offerings to areas IRCC deems to be in long-term labour shortage.  

As the sector continues to adjust to federal policy changes, experts have doubled down on the need for strong academic alignment and well-prepared applications including careful financial documentation that will be essential to strengthening approval outcomes across the college sector.  

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