According to new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), only 90,000 study permits were issued between January and the end of August 2025 — less than one-third of the annual target of around 306,000.

This means the Canadian government is still 216,000 permits short of its goal. To meet the target, the issuance rate in the final four months of the year would need to increase fivefold compared to the average of previous months.

Experts suggest that if the government intends to stay on track with its annual plan, we can expect a significant surge in study permit approvals toward the end of 2025.