Canada’s new student-policy framework is reshaping how early-stage companies hire and plan for growth. The 2025 cap on study permits, combined with new provincial attestation rules and revised post‑graduation work permit (PGWP) criteria, is already influencing the flow of international talent entering the startup scene. Many founders who once relied on short-term interns or freshly graduated international recruits are now facing narrower timelines and a smaller pool of potent