Montréal University says French students are still welcome despite quotas on international admissions

The University of Montréal wants to reassure French and other international students that the government's decision to cap international admissions for Canadian universities will not affect their opportunity to study in Québec.

The largest university in Québec (the French-speaking region of Canada) has a long history of welcoming students, teachers and researchers from France and French-speaking Belgium. However, in 2025, the Canadian government decided to cap international student admissions in all Canadian universities to limit immigration. They were given a quota of international student permits per year, to be renewed every year.

"The University of Montréal has the largest international student permit quota with 7,403 allowed in 2026. We were also guaranteed that this number will stay the same for 2027, which is a huge relief for us," said Michèle Glémaud, the university's Executive Director of Admissions and Recruitment, on 13/01/2026.

Each year, the university admits 15,000 to 16,000 new students, of which approximatively 40% are international. Therefore, Glémaud said the quota…