Thousands of Int’l Students Unable to Study in Canada This Fall Due to Visa Delays

Many international students couldn't begin their studies at Canadian colleges this fall due to recent changes in study permit rules and visa delays, local media reports say.

Three colleges in Ontario, St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Mohawk College, and Conestoga College, have seen a decline in enrollment as thousands of international students are missing this semester, Global News reported.

According to school officials, the decline in enrollment is a result of visa delays, following Canada’s tighter cap on study permits and changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.

The President of St. Lawrence College (SLC) Glenn Vollebregt, said that some 1,600 new international students were expected to study at the institution this fall, instead only 775 have registered for the semester.

Commenting on these figures, Vollebregt said that it is a direct result of the government's decision. This January, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the first-ever cap on international student permit applications.

At the same time, Mohawk College officials confirmed that the school welcomed about 1,500 students this semester, down 38 percent from last year. Meanwhile, at Conestoga College, some 1,400 international students postponed their studies to winter semester.

In a statement issued this month, the Council of Ontario Universities, said that Ontario universities are projecting financial losses of more than $300 million in 2024/25 compared to the previous year.

“As a result of the changes, Ontario universities are projecting financial losses of more than $300 million in 2024-25, compared to 2023, doubling to more than $600 million the following year, if trends continue. That’s nearly a $1-billion financial impact in the first two years alone,” the statement reads.

In January, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the number of international students will be reduced by 35 percent in two years. On September 18, 2024, Miller said the cap is “here to stay.”

The Canadian government said it will reduce the number of international students by another 10 percent in 2025 and limit eligibility for international graduates' work permits.

Specifically, next year, Canada will only issue 437,000 study permits, down from the 485,000 permits issued this year. This figure will remain the same in 2026.

According to data from IRCC, the number of international students in Canada increased to 1,040,985 in 2023, a 29 percent increase from 2022. India and China were the main source countries of students to Canada, making up just over half of international students in the country.

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