Under a proposal by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), students would be allowed to work while awaiting renewal of their study permits or post-graduation work permits (PGWP), according to a notice posted on the government’s website.
Authorities are also weighing scrapping the “co-op work permit” requirement for students in programs with mandatory internships. Some foreign nationals pursuing vocational training could be exempt from study permit requirements if they meet certain conditions.
IRCC said the changes would “reduce administrative burden and operational inefficiency” by removing the need for separate study and work permits within a single educational program.
People walk along King Street West at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo by Reuters |
Ankita Goyal, an adjunct professor of immigration law at Queen’s University, said on LinkedIn: “Removing the need for a co-op work permit means students won’t be stuck waiting to start their placements, something that has historically caused delays, stress, and even lost opportunities.”
The proposal comes as Canada continues to adjust its international student policies amid resource constraints and mounting application backlogs.
As of early April 2026, work permit processing times for applicants inside Canada — both new applications and renewals, were significantly delayed, typically ranging from 247 to 259 days, according to IRCC system data.
Canada remains one of the world’s top two study destinations, alongside the United States. Of the roughly one million international students last year, 41% were from India and 12% from China.
However, government data show new international student arrivals fell 61% year-on-year in 2025, following two consecutive years of federal study permit caps and declining visa approval rates.
In total, 115,470 new international students arrived in 2025, down 177,595 from 2024.
The decline extended beyond new arrivals. The total number of study permit holders, including those with work permits, dropped 30%, from about 995,000 in December 2023 to roughly 690,000 by December 2025.
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