Study permit holders
271,105
2020
Study Permit Explorer
2020
Study permits becoming effective for the selected criteria.
At a glance
Study permit summary
Leading citizenship
India
84,935 permit holders
Historical coverage
6
Years available
Suppressed records
600
Excluded from published total
Ranking
Top countries of citizenship
Leading results for the selected year and criteria.
| Rank | Top countries of citizenship | Study permit holders | Share of published total | Suppressed records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 84,935 | 31.3% | 0 |
| 2 | China, People's Republic of | 61,620 | 22.7% | 0 |
| 3 | Korea, Republic of | 11,880 | 4.4% | 0 |
| 4 | Vietnam | 10,080 | 3.7% | 0 |
| 5 | France | 8,430 | 3.1% | 0 |
| 6 | Iran | 7,485 | 2.8% | 0 |
| 7 | Brazil | 6,555 | 2.4% | 0 |
| 8 | Nigeria | 6,315 | 2.3% | 0 |
| 9 | Philippines | 4,655 | 1.7% | 0 |
| 10 | United States of America | 4,420 | 1.6% | 0 |
Growth & decline
Largest country-level changes, 2019 to 2020
Countries with the largest absolute increases and decreases in published study permit-holder totals between the two complete years.
Largest increases
| Country | 2019 | 2020 | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong SAR | 2,590 | 2,755 | +165 | +6.4% |
| Kosovo, Republic of | 0 | 20 | +20 | — |
| St. Kitts-Nevis | 20 | 30 | +10 | +50.0% |
| Estonia | 0 | 5 | +5 | — |
| Grenada | 20 | 25 | +5 | +25.0% |
| Tajikistan | 0 | 5 | +5 | — |
| Slovenia | 5 | 10 | +5 | +100.0% |
| Botswana, Republic of | 40 | 45 | +5 | +12.5% |
Largest decreases
| Country | 2019 | 2020 | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 140,340 | 84,935 | -55,405 | -39.5% |
| China, People's Republic of | 87,950 | 61,620 | -26,330 | -29.9% |
| France | 14,855 | 8,430 | -6,425 | -43.3% |
| Korea, Republic of | 17,960 | 11,880 | -6,080 | -33.9% |
| Brazil | 10,845 | 6,555 | -4,290 | -39.6% |
| Japan | 6,940 | 3,765 | -3,175 | -45.7% |
| Iran | 10,090 | 7,485 | -2,605 | -25.8% |
| Mexico | 6,420 | 3,935 | -2,485 | -38.7% |
| United States of America | 6,850 | 4,420 | -2,430 | -35.5% |
| Vietnam | 12,150 | 10,080 | -2,070 | -17.0% |
Changes are based on published numeric totals. Suppressed records may affect interpretation for some countries.
Historical trend
Annual study permit trend across all countries
Annual published study permit-holder totals across all countries of citizenship.
| Year | Study permit holders | YoY change | Suppressed records | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 226,860 | — | 595 | Complete year |
| 2016 | 275,405 | +21.4% | 556 | Complete year |
| 2017 | 327,435 | +18.9% | 553 | Complete year |
| 2018 | 367,050 | +12.1% | 544 | Complete year |
| 2019 | 411,860 | +12.2% | 566 | Complete year |
| 2020 | 271,105 | -34.2% | 600 | Complete year |
Historical context
How study permit-holder totals compare historically
Peak year
2019
411,860
permit holders
-34.2%
from peak
Historical average
313,286
Complete years
Selected year
271,105
2020
Vs. historical average
-13.5%
Below average
Key findings
What stands out in these results
A concise summary of the most notable patterns in the selected study permit data.
Below historical peak
The selected year is 34.2% below the historical peak recorded in 2019.
Compared with historical average
The selected year is 13.5% below the average for complete years.
Leading category
India ranks first with 84,935 published study permit holders, representing 31.3% of the published total.
Largest increase
Hong Kong SAR had the largest increase between 2019 and 2020, rising by 165 published permit holders.
About this data
Definitions and methodology
Important terms and notes for interpreting the published study permit data.
Definitions
Study permit
Authorization that allows a foreign national to study in Canada.
This Explorer primarily reports study permit holders based on the year in which permits became effective. This is not the same as the total number of international students physically present in Canada at a given time.
Designated Learning Institution
An institution approved to host international students.
A Designated Learning Institution, or DLI, is an institution approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students.
Study level
IRCC's broad classification of the level of study.
The available study-level categories are broader than specific academic disciplines. They do not represent programs such as Nursing, Computer Science, or Business.
Institution type
IRCC's classification of the type of learning institution.
Published institution types include categories such as University, College, Career College, Language School, Flight School, Theological School, and Other.
Public / private status
IRCC's published administration classification for a DLI.
Institutions may be classified as Public Institution, Private Institution, or Not Stated in the source data.
Country of citizenship
The country of citizenship reported for the study permit holder.
Country values are preserved from the official IRCC source data.
Methodology notes
Suppressed values
Some IRCC values are suppressed in the source data. Suppressed values are treated as unknown and are not interpreted as zero. Published totals therefore represent the sum of available numeric values only.
Partial-year data
The most recent year may contain only part of the calendar year. Partial years are identified as year-to-date and should not be compared directly with completed years without considering the difference in coverage.
Annual totals
Annual totals displayed by this Explorer are calculated by summing the published monthly values for the selected year and compatible dimensions.
Dataset compatibility
Not every search dimension is published together in the same IRCC dataset. The Explorer uses only combinations supported by the underlying source data and does not infer relationships between incompatible datasets.
Institution and citizenship data
Country of citizenship is not published together with individual institution names in the datasets used by this Explorer. Citizenship analysis can therefore be combined with province and institution type, but not with a specific institution.
Study level
Study level is available as a broad classification and is not published together with individual institution data in the datasets used by this Explorer.
Institution names
Institution names are preserved from the official IRCC source. Some entries may identify campuses, partner locations, or institution names that differ from commonly used public names.
Interpretation
The Explorer presents published administrative data and does not classify institutions, determine intent, or make conclusions about fraud, educational quality, or compliance. Users should interpret the data together with appropriate policy and institutional context.
Source
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Study permit holders by country of citizenship and year in which permits became effective
Study permit holders by country of citizenship and the year in which permits became effective.