The federal government has announced a two-year cap on student visas for international students who want to study in Canada, as the federal government deals with what some a calling “population trap.”
The cap is one of a number of measures announced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller as the federal cabinet meets in Montreal for its annual retreat.
Permits are issued on a three-year basis, with more than 800,000 international students issued temporary visas in 2022.
Minister Miller says international students are a valuable asset to the country, however, some unscrupulous private institutions are taking advantage of international students.
(Photo via immigration.ca)
“It’s unacceptable” says Miller, that some private institutions are taking advantage by “operating under resourced campuses, lacking supports for students, and charging high tuition fees, all the while significantly increasing their intake of international students.”
As a result Miller says the federal government is implementing a number of measures to improve program integrity including a temporary two-year cap on new international student permits.
He says the cap will be allocated by province, with some province’s including British Columbia and Ontario seeing a much larger reductions than others.
Provincial Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne last week says the problem is not an issue in this province.
