In January 2024, the federal government announced that Canada will set a new two-year temporary intake cap on international student permit applications for 2024 and 2025. This change did not affect international students already in Canada, nor graduate students. It did make a difference for new undergraduate international students considering enrolling in Canadian institutions, including USask, in fall 2024.

For 2024, Minister Marc Miller has reported that the federal government plans to admit around 292,000 new international students. Each province has been told how many study permit applications they will be allocated.

As of January 22, an international student applying for a study permit must now be able to show that they have been endorsed by the province they are applying to study within, through holding a “provincial attestation letter” (PAL). The province of Saskatchewan has been allocated 12,000 PALs. USask has been allocated 2106 of these PALs.

USask welcomes applications from suitably qualified international students. We recognize that these changes have created uncertainty amongst some of our international student population as well as prospective international students. To provide some clarity and assurances, we know that any student who applied for an international study permit before January 22 is exempt from changes being made. The new rules do not affect current international students at Canadian institutions, and also do not apply to international master’s and PhD students. The new requirements apply to undergraduate students and any visiting or exchange student who seeks to stay in Canada for more than six months.

International students are welcome as members of the USask community. As one of the goals of the International Blueprint, USask has set its mission to be “The University the World Needs”. Part of engaging with the world means bringing the world’s best and brightest students to USask, and giving them access to the university’s world-class education, and unparalleled opportunities for growth. The International Blueprint established USask’s goal to grow the size and diversity of the university’s international student body, to attract top talent, and to strengthen its impact across the world.

In 2022/2023, USask had a total of 3,609 international students (out of a total enrolment of 26,165, or 14 per cent), including 1,970 who are undergraduate international students (out of a total of 21,372, or 9 per cent). In 2023-24, USask welcomed approximately 700 new international undergraduate students. Over the last five years, the university has experienced steady growth in line with the enrolment goals set out and approved in the Learning, Teaching, and Student Experience Plan.

The university is committed to the well-being and success of international students. With a continued focus on the university’s International Blueprint goal of growing the size and diversity of the university’s international student population, USask has moved quickly to adjust to the new requirements in order to assist international student applicants and to stabilize planned enrolments. This work represents strategic enrolment management in action. Although the deadline for implementation set by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is March 31, USask is already

These IRCC changes have prompted many questions by members of the university community. As USask continues planning and implementation, there are opportunities to share what is known at present and how USask is adapting to best support international students moving forward.

Information for international students at USask about immigration can be found in the international student study guide on students.usask.ca.

Detailed and up-to-date information about the study permit application process can be found on the Government of Canada study permit page and the required study permit immigration documents page.