Canada Announces 2 Year Cap for International Students with an immediate effect to overcome the housing crisis and protect students from under-resourced institutions. The Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller made an announcement of 2 years cap for international students during a Cabinet retreat in Montreal on Monday. Affordability and Housing have been the main agenda of this cap for international students the record number of immigrants has been playing in both.
The Minister said in the cabinet the 2 years temporary cap for international students will allow some time for provisional and federal governments to modify the current student visa system through which some bad actors took advantage by charging high student tuition fees while providing poor resources for the education system.
Speaking to the media personnel the Minister said some institutes are taking advantage of international students by charging high amount of fees in under-resourced campuses and significantly increasing the intake of international students. The increase in student intake is also putting immense pressure on Housing and health care services in the country fewer intake would help ease pressure on rental and health care.
For the session 2024 Canadian government has decided to grant 360,000 study permits to the students making it 35% less than the previous year the two-year cap will help in stabilizing new growth.
Provisional & Territorial Caps
To increase the unsustainable growth of the students the provincial and Territorial caps have been set by the government of Canada the caps have been set weighted by the population. The cap will be allocated to each province and territory that will distribute the allocation to the designated learning institutes.
New Rule
As of January 2024, every study permit application that has been submitted to the IRCC will also require an attestation letter from the province or territory. The provinces and territories are working on establishing a process for issuing attestation letters to International students.
Not Impacted
Renewal of study permits and international students who are already pursuing their Master’s & Doctoral degree programs in Canada are not included in the cap or we can say currently study permit holders are not impacted.
Changes in Post-Graduation Work Permit
Starting from September 1st, 2024 students who have started their degree program as a part of the Curriculum Licensing Agreement are no longer eligible for the Post Graduation work permit after graduation. These programs have allowed significant growth in attracting international students to Canada in the recent few years.
Open Work Permits
In the coming days, the open work permit will only be allocated to the spouses of international students pursuing their Master’s & PhD degree programs in Canada. Spouses of students enrolled in Undergraduate and College programs are no longer eligible.
Measures Taken
- From January 1st, 2024 the cost of living requirement for the study permit applicants has been updated the step is taken to reflect the true cost of living in Canada and help to prevent student exploitation.
- Foreign students who are interested in pursuing their education in Canada need to demonstrate access to $20,635 previously it was $10,000.
- Post Secondary learning institutes are required to confirm every letter of acceptance submitted by international students with IRCC this step is taken to ensure the study permits are issued based on a genuine letter of acceptance.
- In 2024, targeted pilots will be implemented to help underrepresented cohorts of international students study in Canada.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Statement
International students play a vital role in Canada and enrich our communities. This is the obligation of the government institute to ensure they have sufficient resources for an enriching academic experience in Canada. Today we are implementing a new system to protect the system that has become so lucrative and opened a path for its abuse. Enough is Enough! Through the decisive measure announced today, we are ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for.
Statement by Hounarable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship
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