Canada to limit international student intake, restricts post-graduation work permits

The Canadian government has announced plans to set a two-year cap on its intake of international students from 2024 to control its population growth and address housing concerns. The new policy also restricts the issuance of work permits to postgraduate students upon graduation.

“Today, we are announcing additional measures to protect a system that has become so lucrative that it has opened a path for its abuse. 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,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship during the announcement.

The number of total approved student visas will be limited to 360,000 in 2024 which is a 35% reduction compared to the previous year. Study permit applications that will be accepted in 2025 will be re-assessed at the end of the year.

Miller stated that this move is to curb the increasing student intake by UK varsities without the proper measures and facilities to accommodate them threatening the country’s integrity and deteriorating housing issues.

“Rapid increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada also put pressure on housing, health care and other services. As we work to better protect international students from bad actors and support sustainable population growth in Canada, the government is moving forward with measures to stabilize the number of international students in Canada,” the statement read.

Beginning September 1, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing agreement, where students physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college, will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit upon graduation.

According to the statement, “These programs have seen significant growth in attracting international students in recent years, though they have less oversight than public colleges and they act as a loophole with regards to post-graduation work permit eligibility.”

The policy however approves permits for graduates of master’s degree programs. The permit is dependent on the length of the student’s study program, which limits the amount of time they have to gain work experience and potentially transition to permanent residence.

As exceptions, students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees and students in elementary and secondary education will not be affected. Current study permit holders and study permit renewals will also not be impacted.

“The important measures announced today complement other recently announced reforms to the International Student Program…they aim to ensure genuine students receive the support they require and have the resources they need for an enriching study experience in Canada, while at the same time stabilizing the overall number of students arriving and alleviating pressures on housing, health care and other services in Canada,” the statement read.

In 2019, Canada issued over 3,000 student visas to Nigerian nationals which doubled twice between 2021 and 2022. In the first six months of 2023, nearly 18,000 Canadian study permits were issued to Nigerians, more than for any other country but India.

Canada received more than 43,000 study permit applications from Nigerians in the first six months of 2023, making them likely to become Canada’s second-largest cohort of inbound students.

With record numbers of international students coming to study in Canada, Nigerians have become the country’s fastest-growing student population. The impact of the new policy on these numbers will be seen in the coming months.