Canada Implements Cap on International Student Visas to Address Housing Concerns

 

Canada has announced plans to implement a cap on the number of student visas granted over the next two years, aiming to address concerns about the impact of growing international student numbers on the housing market and to target problematic institutions.

Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, unveiled the federal government's strategy on January 22. In 2024, Canada plans to approve 360,000 undergraduate study permits, intending to reduce this number by 35% from 2023.

The allocation of permits to each province and territory will be based on population, with the goal of achieving more significant decreases in regions where the international student population has seen unsustainable growth. Provinces and territories will determine how permits are distributed across universities and colleges within their jurisdiction. This cap will be in effect for two years, and a reassessment of the number of visas to be issued in 2025 will occur at the end of this year.

The new regulations state that international students applying for a permit will also be required to provide an attestation letter from a province or territory. The federal government emphasized that these measures are not targeted at individual international students but are intended to ensure the quality of education for future students arriving in Canada.

Marc Miller expressed concern about private institutions taking advantage of international students by operating under-resourced campuses, lacking student support, and charging high tuition fees while significantly increasing international student intake. As part of the changes, starting in September, international students enrolled in programs under a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.

Additionally, graduates of master's and other "short graduate-level programs" will soon be able to apply for a three-year work permit, and open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master's and doctoral programs.