Government Puts Two Year Cap On International Student Visas, Restrictions On Spouse Work Permits

Immigration Minister Marc Miller declared on Monday that the Canadian government is set to impose a cap on the issuance of student visas for the next two years.

“For 2024, the federal government has outlined approval for 360,000 undergraduate study permits, aiming for a 35% reduction compared to 2023,” Miller stated.

The distribution of permits across provinces and territories will be based on their respective populations, resulting in “much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth,” according to federal government representatives.

Provinces and territories will have the autonomy to determine how permits are allocated among universities and colleges within their jurisdiction. The imposed cap will remain in effect for two years, with a reassessment of the number of visas to be issued in 2025 slated for the year’s end.

Miller emphasized the need for these measures, stating, “It’s unacceptable that some private institutions have taken advantage of international students by operating under-resourced campuses, lacking supports for students and charging high tuition fees all the while significantly increasing their intake of international students.”

In addition to the cap, the federal government is instituting a requirement for international students applying for a permit to furnish an attestation letter from a province or territory.

Miller clarified that these measures are not targeted at individual international students but are intended to ensure that future students arriving in Canada receive the promised quality of education.

The announcement also includes modifications to the post-graduation work permit program. Starting in September, international students enrolling in programs covered by a curriculum licensing arrangement, where a private college is licensed to deliver a public college’s curriculum, will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit. Graduates of master’s and other “short graduate-level programs” will soon be able to apply for a three-year work permit. Moreover, open work permits will exclusively be available to the spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs.

These changes follow measures introduced by Miller a little over a month ago, targeting what he referred to as “the diploma equivalent of puppy mills.”

Parvasi Media Group