What We Know About Canada’s New Rules for International Students in 2024

Canada, now home to over one million international students, has imposed a temporary cap on approved study permit applications, resulting in nearly 360,000 in 2024.

In other words, there will be a 35 percent decrease in the number of study permits from 2023, meaning the government will not process more than 606,250 new study permit applications in 2024. These measures will remain in effect for two years, Erudera News reports.

The announcement made on January 22, 2024, sparked reactions both within the country and worldwide.

“There’s so much that you have to look into and these plans are made ahead of time. There are students who currently have their acceptance in hand and have very likely started making those plans, if not already purchased [plane] tickets,” Azi Afousi, president of advocacy group College Student Alliance, told CBC News.

Universities and colleges in Canada welcomed the decision to protect international students from “bad actors” but said the cap could affect Canada’s reputation as a study destination worldwide.

“Canada is competing globally for this talent and, with today’s announcement, needs to ensure that international students continue to consider Canada as a destination of choice,” Matthew Ramseym, spokesperson for the University of British Columbia, told Erudera News.

Besides imposing the two-year cap on international students, authorities unveiled changes to the Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility criteria.

This means that starting September 2024, international students enrolled in a study program as part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer receive a PGWP.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) explained in a statement that under these agreements, students should attend in person a private college that has received the license to deliver a curriculum of an associated public college.

Other changes include:

• New cap on work permits issued to spouses of international students
• Requirement for attestation letters issued from a province or territory
• Raise in cost-of-living financial requirement

In its statement, IRCC explains that open work permits will not be issued to spouses of international undergraduate students or those in college programs. The government has decided to allow the issuance of work permits only to spouses of international students pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D.

Moreover, as of January 22, 2024, international students should ensure their study permit application has an attestation letter issued from a province or territory. At the same time, provinces and territories should issue these letters by March 31, 2024, at the latest.

Canada has also increased the cost-of-living financial requirement for international students since January 1, 2024. International students should now prove they have access to $20,635 to cover their expenses in Canada.

The requirement was $10,000 for a single applicant since the early 2000s.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that the reason for introducing these measures is to protect international students from exploitation.

“Enough is enough. Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for,” Miller said last month while announcing measures.

Before and after the January 22 announcement, IDP conducted a survey which found that 47 percent of students believe the new rules will have a high or very high impact on their plans to study abroad.

The same found that 42 percent of prospective students, including those who applied to Canadian institutions, were considering other study destinations.

The number of international students in Canada has significantly increased in recent years, especially last year when the country welcomed over one million international students, according to official figures.

In 2022, there were over 800,000 international students in Canada, almost a third more than the previous year.

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>> Australia, Canada & UK Tighten Rules on International Students Amid Post-COVID Surge