Canada Expects 35% Decrease in Approved Study Permits for 2024

The Canadian government has unveiled a two-year cap on new study permits for international students, aiming to limit approvals to approximately 360,000 this year, marking a 35% reduction from 2023. Immigration Minister Marc Miller, acknowledging the enrichment international students bring to communities, made the announcement on Monday. The decision comes amid criticism over the surge in international students exacerbating Canada’s housing crisis.

Miller emphasized that the cap will be distributed among provinces and territories for allocation to their Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). With the number of international students in Canada surpassing one million, Indians lead the cohort, accounting for 215,190 out of 579,075 permits issued till November 2023.

To preserve program integrity and the academic experience, Canada will continue implementing reforms, with the number of permits in 2025 subject to reassessment later this year. Miller noted that the cap aims to curb small private colleges exploiting international students and emphasized that post-graduate work permits will no longer be issued to students in curriculum licensing arrangements starting September.

Furthermore, work permits for spouses of international students, except those in master’s and doctoral programs, will cease in the coming weeks. Recent changes also require students to demonstrate a minimum of CA$20,635 in addition to one-year tuition fees, with extra funds for accompanying family members. Despite these adjustments, international students contribute approximately CA$22 billion ($16.4 billion) annually to the Canadian economy.