Canada's response to the crippling housing crisis has had the anticipated fallout on the intake of international students. Following up on Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller's October remarks amidst political pressure over a housing crisis, the Justin Trudeau government announced on Monday a 35% reduction in international student admissions for 2024.
This translates to 360,000 approved study permits, compared to 2023 levels.
READ | Explained: Why Is Canada Capping Foreign Students And Who Will Be Impacted?
"Ahead of the September 2024 semester," stated Mr Miller, "we are prepared to take necessary measures, including limiting visas, to ensure designated learning institutions provide adequate and sufficient student support as part of the academic experience."
This cap on international student numbers is a temporary policy for two years. It will not affect current study permit holders or renewals. Additionally, it exempts students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees.
Here's how the cap will be applied:
Provincial Quotas: The cap has been assigned to each province based on its accommodation and housing capacity.
Institutional Distribution: Provinces will then distribute the allocated number of international student admissions among various institutions.
Attestation Requirement: As a new documentation requirement, student permit applications must now include an attestation letter from a Canadian province or territory. This letter confirms the province's capacity to accommodate the proposed student.
Effective Date: This requirement is effective from January 22nd, 2024.
Implementation Deadline: Provinces have until March 31st, 2024, to establish a mechanism for issuing the required attestation document.
Graduate Programs and Work Permits: The Canadian government has declared plans to reassess the cap in 2025. While most changes do not apply to graduate, professional, and doctoral programs, there are some noteworthy modifications:
Post-Graduate Work Permit: International students admitted under a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit.
Spousal Open Work Permits: Open work permits will now only be available to spouses of international students enrolled in master's or doctoral programs. Spouses of undergraduate and college students will no longer be eligible.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
