- The country issued nearly 1 million visas to pupils last year, three times that of a decade ago
- New norms will also set limits on postgraduate work permits issued those coming to study from abroad
Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, said the country will issue 364,000 student visas in 2024. Photo: APCanada, a popular destination for students studying abroad, has announced a two-year cap on the intake of foreign pupils. The move comes after Canada faced a housing shortage after issuing nearly 1 million study permits last year. This figure is three times that of a decade ago, as per government data, and the new proposal will cut the intake by nearly a third.
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What are the details?
Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, said the Liberal government will introduce a temporary, two-year cap on student visas, which will result in the issue of about 364,000 visas in 2024.
The new proposals will also set limits on postgraduate work permits issued to foreign students, which is likely to encourage them to return to their home countries. The permits were previously seen as an easy path to securing permanent residency.
People pursuing master’s or post-doctorate programmes will be eligible for a three-year work permit.
Spouses of international students enrolled in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programmes, will no longer be eligible, Miller said. The acceptance of new study permit applications in 2025 will be subject to reassessment at the end of the current year, he said.
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Why is the government cracking down?
Canada has emerged as a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy to obtain work permits after finishing courses. But the surge in international students led to an acute shortage in rental flats, which pushed up rents. In December, rents nationwide rose 7.7 per cent from a year earlier, according to StatCan.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity has been dented mainly due to the affordability crisis, and opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has taken a commanding lead over Trudeau in opinion polls ahead of an election next year.
Apart from the rental crisis, the government has also been concerned about the quality of education provided by some of the institutions.
Whom will this impact?
International students contribute about C$22 billion (US$16.4 billion) annually to the Canadian economy. The move will hurt many educational institutions that had expanded their campuses in the hope of a continued inflow of students.
Ontario, the most populous province, received the biggest share of international students. Some businesses, including restaurants and retail sectors, have warned that a cap on foreign students will create a shortage of temporary workers.
Restaurants across Canada are grappling with labour shortages with nearly 100,000 vacancies, and international students made up 4.6 per cent of 1.1 million workers in the food service industry in 2023, as per a lobby group.
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Canadian banks had benefited from the influx of new students, as each student was required to have a Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC) of more than C$20,000 (US$14,850), a prerequisite for international students to cover living expenses.
The vast majority, about 40 per cent, of foreign students come from India, with China coming in second with about 12 per cent, according to official data from 2022.
The University of Toronto said in a statement that it looks forward to working with all levels of government to ensure that the allocation of study permits recognises institutions like U of T and addresses the problem where the challenges lie.