On January 22, 2024, new rules for opening student visas came into force. Canada to stabilize growth and reduce new international student permits to around 360,000 by 2024.

 

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

 

January 22, 2024 – Ottawa –Some institutions have significantly increased enrollment to increase income, and more students are arriving in Canada without the proper support they need to succeed. The rapid growth in the number of international students arriving in Canada is also putting pressure on housing, healthcare and other services.

 

Mark Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the Government of Canada is setting an application cap for international students to stabilize new growth over the next two years.

 

- In 2024, the cap will result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a 35% decrease from 2023.

 

- Individual provincial and territorial limits corresponding to the size of the population are established. This will not affect the extension of study permits. Those pursuing master's and doctoral degrees, as well as primary and secondary education students, are not included in the limit. This will not affect holders of current study permits.

 

- As of January 22, 2024, every study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require a confirmation letter from the province or territory. Provinces and territories will establish the process of issuing assessment letters to students no later than March 31, 2024.

 

These temporary measures will be in place for two years, and the number of new applications for study permits that will be accepted in 2025 will be reviewed at the end of this year.

 

In order to better harmonize the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, the selection criteria are changing:

 

- Effective September 1, 2024, international students who begin their study program at private colleges will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.

 

- Graduates of master's programs will soon be able to apply for a work permit for a period of 3 years. Under the current criteria, the duration of a post-graduation work permit depends solely on the length of the individual study programme, which discourages graduates from the Master's programme by limiting the amount of time they have to gain work experience and potentially move to permanent residence.

 

- In the coming weeks, open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students pursuing master's and doctoral studies. Spouses of international students at other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible for the program.

 

Recently, the department has introduced several measures to ensure that the International Student Program works for both incoming students and the country as a whole, including:

 

- On January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants was updated to better reflect the true cost of living in Canada and help prevent student vulnerability and exploitation.

 

- Effective December 1, 2023, higher education institutions are required to validate every letter of acceptance submitted by an applicant outside of Canada directly to IRCC. This advanced verification process protects prospective students from fraud and ensures that study permits are only issued on the basis of genuine letters of acceptance.