TORONTO – The government of Canada is considering putting a limit on the entry of international students as the country faces numerous challenges.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a TV interview that the country was considering a cap on the number of international students allowed to live in Canada.
In an interview scheduled to go on air on Sunday, the minister said the ‘volume is disconcerting’ while referring to the international students.
The minister did not announce the volume of reduction expected in the reforms for international students but said the government is considering a cap in the first and second quarters this year.
Canada is considered a pro-immigration country and depends on immigration to drive its economy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been supporting immigration through policies as supported by numbers also.
The recent change is driven primarily by the housing crisis in the country which has triggered calls from observers to put a cap on the number of international students.
As far as the statistics are concerned, official data implies there were more than 800,000 foreign students with active visas in 2022.
The reason for Canada to become a popular destination for international students is because of the relative ease of obtaining a work permit.
This is not the first time that the government is exploring the possibility of limiting international students. The government also floated the idea of capping the number of foreign student visas in August but no decision was made in this regard.
As part of the fresh plan, the immigration minister said he planned to discuss the problem with provincial counterparts.
Earlier last year, immigration minister Marc Miller announced a series of new requirements for foreign students willing to come to Canada under which prospective international students will need to show that they have access to $20,635 (Canadian Dollars) instead of the current $10,000 (Canadian Dollars) requirement; this is besides the amount students need to pay for tuition and exclusive of any fees for other family members coming to the country.
The current requirement has been in place for two decades while the new rule will apply to study permit applications received on or after January 1st 2024.
The government also plans to keep adjusting the minimum amount for students based on statistical data.
“International students provide significant cultural, social and economic benefits to their communities, but they have also faced challenges navigating life in Canada. We are revising the cost-of-living threshold so that international students understand the true cost of living here. This measure is key to their success in Canada. We are also exploring options to ensure that students find adequate housing. These long-overdue changes will protect international students from financially vulnerable situations and exploitation,” Miller had said.
In a media interaction, the minister also warned about limiting the number of visas and said the government expects that institutions “only accept the number of students that they are able to provide for, that they’re able to house or assist in finding off-campus housing.
“Ahead of September 2024, we are prepared to take necessary measures, including significantly limiting visas, to ensure that designated learning institutions provide adequate and sufficient student support,” he warned.
