Canada Announces New Limits on International Student Numbers

The Canadian government announced on Wednesday a series of new measures for international students.

The government said it will further reduce the number of international student permits by another 10 percent, setting the new target at 437,000 permits for the next two years, down from 485,000 permits in 2024, Erudera.com reports.

According to a press release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on September 18, 2024, different from the original cap, which did not include students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, the new cap will also include this group.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the government expects these changes will result in nearly “300,000 fewer study permits” in the next three years.

“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to—just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to. We are taking action to strengthen our temporary residence programs and roll out a more comprehensive immigration plan to meet the demands of today’s changing landscape,” Miller stated.

Additionally, the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) will be updated this fall in order to better align with the immigration goals and the labor market needs. Later this year, work permit eligibility will also be limited for spouses of master’s degree students to only those whose program lasts at least 16 months.

Students graduating from public colleges in Canada remain eligible to apply for PGWP for up to three years if they studied in areas of labor shortages.

As part of changes to the PGWP program, applicants will be obliged to show minimum proficiency in French or English, which, according to authorities, aims to increase their ability to transition to permanent residents.

The cap on international student permit applications was initially introduced in January 2024. The government projected a 35 percent decrease in the number of approved study permits compared to 2023.

However, according to an analysis by ApplyBoard, which collected data for the first six months of 2024, the number of study permit applications and issuance of permits dropped more than expected.

Canada hosted 1,040,985 international students last year, a 29 percent increase from 2022, with India and China being the leading places of origin of international students in Canada. Most international students settle in Ontario, the most populous province in the country.

According to Statistics Canada, the population in Canada saw the fastest growth in more than 70 years, mainly due to a large increase in the number of temporary residents. In April 2024, Canada’s population exceeded 41 million people.

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