Canada To Implement Two-Year Cap On International Student Visas

In a move aimed at mitigating the housing impact of international students and addressing problematic institutions, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has unveiled a limit on the issuance of student visas for the next two years.

For 2024, the federal government aims to approve 3,60,000 undergraduate study permits, reducing the number by 35 per cent from 2023.

In Canada, now provinces and territories will be allocated a portion of the total permits, distributed by population, leading to "much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth."

Each region will determine the allocation of permits among universities and colleges. The limit will be enforced for a duration of two years, and a review of the visa issuance numbers will be conducted in 2025.

Miller also expressed concerns about certain private institutions exploiting international students by operating under-resourced campuses, lacking sufficient student support, charging high tuition fees, and significantly increasing their enrollment of international students.

Significantly, Indians make up the largest portion of international students in Canada, accounting for over 41 percent of permits granted in 2022. Current projections indicate that the number of Indian students who went to Canada in 2023 exceeded 3,00,000.