The Canadian government has introduced a series of measures to regulate the influx of international students, citing concerns over the country’s rapidly growing temporary resident population. As of September 18, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a 10% reduction in international student permits, capping the number at 437,000 for the next two years. This move follows an initial cap introduced in January 2024, which aimed to decrease approved study permits by 35% compared to 2023.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized that the government expects these changes to result in nearly 300,000 fewer study permits over the next three years. “The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada wi ll be able to—just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to,” Miller stated. The new cap will now include master’s and doctoral students, who were previously exempt.
Master’s and PhD students will no longer be exempt from obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), which helps verify genuine applications. Approximately 12% of allocation spaces will be reserved for these students due to their benefits to the Canadian labor market.
Changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility require applicants to demonstrate a Canadian Language Benchmark score of 7 for university graduates and 5 for college graduates. This is expected to result in 175,000 fewer PGWPs issued over three years.
Spousal Open Work Permits will be limited to spouses of master’s degree students with programs lasting at least 16 months, resulting in 50,000 fewer permits. Additionally, Spousal Open Work Permits will only be available to spouses of Canadians or permanent residents in critical work sectors.
These measures aim to curb the volume of temporary residents in Canada, as the unemployment rate has risen to 6.6%. The government emphasizes that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program should be a last resort and not replace Canadian workers or suppress wages.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision on his official X account, stating, “We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%. Immigration is an advantage for our economy—but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down”.
Canada hosted 1,040,985 international students last year, a 29% increase from 2022, with India and China being the leading places of origin. The country’s population exceeded 41 million people in April 2024, primarily due to a surge in temporary residents. These measures aim to manage the growing population and ensure a more comprehensive immigration plan.
Canada’s immigration system has seen significant overhauls, including the introduction of a study permit cap, PAL system, and restrictions on PGWP eligibility and Spousal Work Permits. The government plans to reduce temporary resident levels and consider changes to permanent immigration levels. Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault noted that 99% of Canada’s economic growth depends on immigration, expected to rise to 100% by 2032. Further updates on immigration levels are expected in the coming weeks. For more information on these changes and how they may affect you, consider searching online for the latest updates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
