Ontario will receive 104,780 Provincial Attestation Letters for international students in 2026, a 42 per cent reduction from 2025 and the third consecutive year of cuts imposed by the federal government.
The province announced Tuesday it will allocate the reduced permits to programs that prepare graduates for in-demand jobs and strengthen key sectors of Ontario’s workforce.
The 2026 allocation is capped at 70,074 permits for students intending to study at Ontario postsecondary institutions, down from a target of 116,740 permits in 2025.
Allocation priorities
Ontario will continue prioritizing programs that produce graduates for key industries. Publicly assisted colleges and universities will receive 96 per cent of allocations, with the remaining 4 per cent going to language schools, private universities and other institutions.
“Now more than ever, our government is focused on building a dynamic, highly skilled workforce that will protect and drive our economy,” said Nolan Quinn, minister of colleges, universities, research excellence and security.
Starting in 2026, master’s and doctoral students at publicly assisted colleges and universities will not require a Provincial Attestation Letter but will be counted under Ontario’s total cap for international study permits. Graduate students applying to private institutions will continue to need attestation letters.
Impact on institutions
The reduction marks a significant decline from 2024, when Ontario was allocated 235,000 attestation letters with a target of 141,000 permits.
Ontario will continue the midyear voluntary return of unused attestation letters that was introduced in 2025, allowing institutions to return permits they cannot use to maximize the province’s allocation.
The provincial government said it is investing nearly $1 billion through Budget 2025 to fund more than 100,000 additional seats in programs including construction, teaching, nursing and STEM fields. The government is working with postsecondary partners to modernize the funding model.
Students seeking an attestation letter should contact the admissions office at the Ontario institution where they have accepted an offer of admission.
