Canada: British Columbia Caps International Student Enrollments at 30%

Canada North America International Studies Higher Education News by Erudera News Jul 17, 2024

Vancouver, British Columbia

The government of British Columbia in Canada has announced new measures for higher education institutions, including a cap on international student enrollment to 30 percent of the total.

In a press release, the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said the new guidelines aim to ensure international students at post-secondary institutions, including universities and colleges, receive the highest quality education, Erudera.com reports.

“We welcome international students to B.C. and we want them to have a great experience when they arrive here, anchored by quality education and supports that are meaningful, relevant and will set them up for further success.

That’s why we are building on the enhancements we made in January to ensure that international students coming to B.C. are successful, supported and protected,” Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Lisa Beare explained.

As part of its efforts to protect international students, the province has also introduced the new Education Quality Assurance (EQA). This code requires institutions to meet higher standards for student support to be eligible to recruit international students.

“Our commitment is clear: we’re dedicated to upholding the integrity of B.C.’s education sector and protecting international students. I want international students to know that we’ve got their back,” Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials Ravi Parmar said.

New requirements include:

  • clear and accurate marketing and promotional information
  • accountability for education agents
  • Transparency in tuition fees
  • better information on student support, including academic support, well-being, and health services

Official data show nearly 553,000 post-secondary students, both domestic and international study at the public and private institutions. Of this figure, over 217,600 are international students from more than 150 countries.

About 111,900 international students who move to the province attend public post-secondary institutions, and about 105,700 go to private institutions.

Earlier this year, Canada set a cap on international student visas. The country expects to issue fewer than 300,000 new student permits this year, a drop from about 437,000 student permits issued last year.

In a statement released in January this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said that for the cap to be implemented, every study permit application will have to contain an attestation letter issued from a province or territory. Provinces and territories were to issue these letters to students no later than March 31, 2024.

British Columbia started issuing these letters on March 4. This year, the province was allocated 83,000 undergraduate study permit applications.

Read Also:

>> Canadian Province Imposes Ban on Colleges Enrolling International Students

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