The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, declared today that the Government of Canada will implement a cap on international student permit applications to stabilize growth over the next two years.
For the year 2024, the cap is projected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, marking a 35% reduction from 2023. To ensure fairness, individual provincial and territorial caps have been established, aligned with their populations, leading to more significant decreases in areas with observed unsustainable growth.
These measures will not impact study permit renewals, and exceptions are granted for those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as elementary and secondary education. Existing study permit holders will also remain unaffected.
The allocation of the cap to each province and territory will be overseen by IRCC, with the expectation that these regions will distribute the allocation among their designated learning institutions. Starting January 22, 2024, all study permit applications submitted to IRCC will necessitate an attestation letter from the respective province or territory. Provinces and territories are required to establish the process for issuing these letters to students by March 31, 2024.
These temporary measures will be in force for two years, with a re-evaluation of new study permit applications for 2025 at the conclusion of this period. The government will persist in collaborating with provinces, territories, designated learning institutions, and national education stakeholders to devise a sustainable path forward for international students.
In a concurrent effort to align with the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, changes to eligibility criteria will be enacted on September 1, 2024. Specifically, international students enrolled in study programs under curriculum licensing arrangements will no longer qualify for post-graduation work permits. Furthermore, graduates of master’s and other short graduate-level programs will soon be eligible for a 3-year work permit, affording more time for acquiring work experience and potentially transitioning to permanent residence.
Additional adjustments encompass the limitation of open work permits to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs exclusively. These measures, coupled with recent reforms to the International Student Program, strive to ensure authentic students receive the essential support for a fulfilling study experience in Canada, concurrently addressing challenges tied to an influx of students on housing, healthcare, and other services.
