According to Globe & Mail, more than one million people have a valid Canadian study permit. The Globe & Mail cited the data it obtained from IRCC, which asserts that there were 1,028,850 international students in Canada at the end of December.
It also reported that there were over 526,015 international students in Ontario, 202,565 in British Columbia & 117,925 in Quebec. These are also the provinces with the highest number of DLIs.
On January 14, Marc Miller stated the volume of international students in the permissible DLI model in some provinces. He recommended that provincial governments speak with the DLIs to rein in the numbers.
In 2022, there were 807,260 international/ foreign students in Canada & last fall, the minister said that he expected there to be over 900,000 by the end of 2023. The Globe & Mail says that this number was exceeded by September 2023 & presently, more than one million people have a valid Canadian study permit.
Well, the cap on the study permits for international students has been under discussion since last summer. There has been growing pressure on the federal government to reduce the number of immigrants/ newcomers to Canada as the nation faces an acute shortage of affordable housing & strain on the healthcare system.
IRCC says that limiting intake will help strengthen the integrity of Canada’s international student system. It explains that this is necessary because some institutions have increased their international student intake to increase their revenue without offering students the support that they require.
In addition, the immigration department noted that the intake cap will stabilize new growth & better protect international students from bad actors, like fake immigration consultants who issue false letters of acceptance/ institutions that accept more international/ foreign students than they have the capacity to support.
Canada Declares A Cap On International Students In 2024
On January 22, Marc Miller confirmed that IRCC would be issuing only 360,000 study permits in 2024.
The cap demonstrates an anticipated 35% reduction in the number of international students in Canada. It doesn’t apply to study permit renewals or to students in a master’s, PhD, or other post-graduate program.
The permit will be allocated to each province based on population. Provinces with larger populations will obtain the highest number of study permits. It is a momentary measure that will be in place for two years.
This declaration came alongside other changes to Canada’s international student program. Moreover, after applicants obtain an LOA, they have to further obtain a letter of attestation from the provincial/ territorial government where their DLI is located.
This is a new step in the study permit application process & provincial & territorial governments have a deadline of March 31, 2024, in order to establish a process for issuing the letters. This implies that there is a potential that Canada will not issue any new study permits until the deadline.
Changes To PGWP Eligibility
As more than one million people have a valid Canadian study permit, IRCC has changed some of the eligibility criteria for international students considering remaining in Canada on a PGWP after completing their academic program.
Students registered in programs at private colleges via a curriculum licensing agreement with a public college will no longer be eligible for a Post Graduation Work Permit.
On the contrary, international/ foreign students who complete a graduate-level program that is shorter than eight months will be eligible to apply for a PGWP.
Lastly, IRCC also revealed that the spouses of undergraduate students will no longer be eligible for Spousal Open Work Permits. No further details on this measure have been released.