December 5, 2025

CTV News Interviews Mario Bellissimo on Canada’s 2026 Study Permit Targets

Posted by Durr-e Adan - Bellissimo Law Group PC

CTV News spoke with Mario Bellissimo about Canada’s newly released 2026 study permit targets. The federal government plans to issue 408,000 permits, including 155,000 new international students and 253,000 extensions, continuing a multi-year decline under the national cap.

Mario noted that while reducing overall numbers may help processing, “a global number is unhelpful” without a data-driven framework that reflects housing, healthcare, social-service capacity, and labour-market needs. He also highlighted the new 2026 exemptions, including PAL/TAL waivers for master’s and doctoral students, and the implications for applicants navigating a more competitive landscape.

Bellissimo emphasized that intake must align with real-time opportunities for students to succeed, and that a transparent expression-of-interest model would better manage demand.

Read the full CTV article here: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/immigration-expert-says-canada-needs-a-new-intake-mechanism-for-international-students/