New data emerging in 2026 has revealed that Canada has overtaken the United Kingdom (UK) as top study-to-immigrate destination for foreign students across the globe.
While both nations have introduced stricter immigration controls over the past two years, it was gathered that foreign students are increasingly prioritizing the transparency and speed of Canadian permanent residency (PR) pathways over the British system.
This is according to information contained in a recent analysis by immigration policy observers and global mobility experts.
The findings, highlighted in recent reports from global mobility experts and student recruitment surveys, indicated that nearly 30% of international students now rank Canada as their first-choice study-to-immigrate destination.
This surge comes despite the Canadian government’s decision to cap new study permits at 437,000 for 2025 and 408,000 for 2026.
According to surveys, prospective students cited “clearer path to settlement” as the primary reason for choosing Canada as their top study-to-immigrate destination.
It was also gathered that the primary driver behind this shift is the divergence in post-graduation policies.
While the UK has historically attracted students with its world-class universities, recent reforms have shortened the Graduate Route visa and increased salary thresholds for skilled worker sponsorship.
In contrast, Canada displaced the UK as the top study-to-immigrate destination because the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) remains a cornerstone of its appeal.
The PGWP allows graduates to stay and work for up to three years, and unlike the UK’s Graduate visa, this time counts directly toward the work experience required for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Express Entry pathways.
Under the Canadian Experience Class, the country’s main federal pathway to permanent residence, graduates can qualify after as little as one year of skilled work experience.
The United Kingdom, by contrast, has lengthened and complicated the path from graduation to settlement.
While international students may obtain a graduate visa after completing their studies, that status does not count toward the residency requirement for indefinite leave to remain, the UK’s equivalent of permanent residence.
Graduates must first transition to another qualifying visa, most commonly the skilled worker visa, which requires employer sponsorship, an eligible occupation, and compliance with minimum salary thresholds.
Recent policy changes have further reduced the UK’s appeal. From 2026, most bachelor’s and master’s graduates will be eligible for graduate visas lasting no more than two years, with that duration set to fall to 18 months for applications made from January 2027.
Only PhD graduates will retain access to a three-year graduate visa. The UK government has also proposed extending the minimum residency requirement for permanent settlement from five years to as long as ten. In addition, the UK also officially stopped issuing new Health and Care Worker visas to foreign care workers, which took effect on July 22, 2025
By comparison, Canada’s post-study work authorization is both longer and more directly linked to settlement. Time spent working under a PGWP immediately contributes toward eligibility for permanent residence programs, removing the need for graduates to secure employer sponsorship before starting the clock on residency requirements.
Skilled work is defined broadly, covering a wide range of professional and technical roles under Canada’s occupation classification system.
For students weighing study destinations with long-term migration in mind, the contrast has become increasingly stark. International students enrolling in Canadian programs can expect up to twice the post-graduation work authorization available in the UK, alongside a clearer timeline to permanent status.
