Ontario sees drop in international student applications amid cap on study permits

International students Jamie Niemogha (left) and Ola Fawehinmi talk on the Conestoga College campus in Kitchener, Ont., Saturday, April 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

Ontario has received 23 per cent less international student applications this year after the federal government reduced the number of study permits.

On Thursday, the provincial government revealed it accepted 181,590 applications, down from 235,000 in 2024.

“Our government is laser focused on ensuring students in Ontario receive the skills they need to succeed in industries that address our province’s labour market needs,” Ontario’s colleges and universities minister Nolan Quinn said in a news release.

The province says it expects the more than 181,000 international student applications to result in 116,740 permits.

The federal government announced in September further cuts to the number of new student visas this year and in 2026.

The cap has led to a drop in enrolments at Ontario colleges, prompting them to suspend programs and reduce staff.

Of the applicants this year, 96 per cent will be given to publicly assisted Ontario colleges and universities, the ministry said, with the remaining four per cent going to language schools, private universities, and other institutions.

Career colleges will not receive any applications.

Meanwhile, 32,579 of the total number of applications allocated to Ontario are reserved for master’s and doctoral degree programs.

The province also said it will prioritize enrolment into programs eligible for federal post-graduation work permits, such as the skilled trades, health, STEM, child-care, and French-language programs.