TORONTO: Canada has announced a temporary cap on the country’s international students’ programme by placing a limit on the approval of study permits for the next two years.

This cap, announced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, will result in a 35 per cent reduction in the issuance of new student visas this year, with approximately 360,000 undergraduate study permits to be issued for 2024. Each province and territory will have a share in the total number of permits and provinces and territories will be responsible for selecting institutions qualified to enroll international students.

Some provinces will see a reduction in permits by about 50pc, whereas the number of permits to be issued for 2025 will be assessed at the end of 2024.

Year 2024 likely to see 35 per cent reduction in new visas

Provincial and territorial caps have been weighted by population, “which will result in much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth”, a policy statement shared by Ottawa said.

The statement added: “Study permit renewals will not be impacted. Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education are not included in the cap. Current study permit holders will not be affected.”

As of Jan 22, 2024, every study permit application will also require an attestation letter from the relevant province or territory, with provinces and territories expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than March 31.

“International students are vital to Canada and enrich our communities. As such, we have an obligation to ensure that they have access to the resources they need for an enriching academic experience. In Canada, today, this isn’t always the case. Today, we are announcing additional measures to protect a system that has become so lucrative that it has opened a path for its abuse,” Minister Miller’s office said.

International students who wish to pursue education at a Canadian institution typically need to obtain a study permit from the federal government. They are required to submit their letter of acceptance from the relevant institution, personal documentation, and evidence of financial support.

Until now, there were no set limits on the number of students entering Canada and generally requests for visas would be approved as long as students demonstrated acceptance at an accredited institution.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2024