The number of new study permit applications processed by the Canadian government decreased by 54 percent in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023.
According to an analysis by ApplyBoard, a Canadian educational technology platform, the number of applications processed is also projected to decline by 39 percent year on year in 2024.
These mid-year figures indicate that student demand is shifting away from Canada due to confusion surrounding the new policy changes introduced this year. Even Canadian post-secondary programmes not subject to the cap are experiencing lower demand, as ApplyBoard has observed.
According to the analysis, the overall reduction in permits processed during the first half of 2024 is partly due to students pausing or deferring their applications, and others shifting to alternative destinations.
Research by Studyportals also shows that the United States, Germany, Italy, and other countries are attracting students away from Canada, as well as from Australia and the UK. This was evidenced as the platform indicated a 20 percent drop in global searches for “study in Canada” this year compared to 2023.
Read also: Canada admitted only 9,924 through skilled trades (artisans) program between 2015-2023
Mark Miller, the Canadian immigration minister announced earlier in the year the two-year cap on new study permits. Explaining, he said that:
“For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 364,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35 percent from [the number of study permits issued in] 2023.”
“In Q1 2024, applications decreased by 26% year-over-year for programs affected by the study permit caps. Cap-exempt programs (master’s and doctoral degree programs) also saw a [year-over-year] dip of 21 percent.
ApplyBoard’s projection for the full year 2024 indicates a 50 percent reduction in study permits for capped post-secondary programmes (e.g., undergraduate courses) and a 24 percent decrease for cap-exempt programmes (e.g., graduate-level courses)
Potential students from other countries search elsewhere
Between January and June 2024, the approval of study permits for Nigerian students fell by over 70 percent while Filipino students experienced a 65 percent decline. Moreso, the number of Indian students, the top sending market, had its study permits halved compared to the same period in 2023, despite a relatively high approval rate of 85 percent for that market.
This decline in study permits for students from key markets can be attributed to several factors, including the new savings requirement of more than CAD$20,000 to qualify for a study permit, the removal of the right for partners of undergraduate students to obtain an open work visa, and the exclusion of students enrolled in college programmes delivered through private-public partnerships from post-study work eligibility.
Moreover, rumours of further immigration changes affecting international students have contributed to the decline.
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