Canada puts a limit to number of visas for study in canada

A big announcement has been revealed by the Canada Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller on Canada Student Visa Policy for the year 2024. This can be important news for international students who are willing to study in Canada across the globe.  

According to the minister, in the previous years, the international students faced problems in Canada, due to sudden increases in fees, finding a right place to live in Canada during their study duration and figuring out how to work with student visas , which caused a major economic backlash in the country. These are the basic reasons on why the decision as taken to limit the students who intend to study abroad in Canada. Moreover, it was also noted that in order to boost income, some universities have increased admissions, which has resulted in an increase in the number of students entering Canada without the necessary resources.

So, the Government of Canada has decided to impose a two-year cap on the number of new study permits issued to international students. The cap will be implemented for two years, after which, at the end of the year, the number of permits to be issued in 2025 will be reevaluated. In addition to the cap, the federal government will also require international students applying for a permit to provide an attestation letter from a province or territory.

The IRRC minister said that the purpose of the implementation of this cap is to ensure that as future students arrive in Canada, they will receive the quality of education that they are paying for and to provide the basic necessary resources like housing, accommodation and other possible support to students.  

Through this cap, the Federal Government of Canada is taking legal action against some small private colleges and universities of Canada that have taken advantage of foreign students by operating under-resourced campuses, do not support students with lack of accommodation, charging high tuition fees and significantly increasing the intake of international students without supporting them properly. 

According to the government, 360,000 undergraduate study permits will be approved in the year 2024, that means Canada will reduce the number of new international student permits by 35% from the year 2023, While some provinces such as Ontario could see a greater reduction of more than 50 percent.

Those students who are pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education are not included in the cap and those who are current study permit holders will also not be affected.

Changes in Post-graduation Program for Study in Canada

• From 1st September 2024 post-graduation work permit will no longer be available for international students who enroll in a program that is a part of a curriculum licensing arrangement (where a private college has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college) .
• The partners of international students in other levels of study such as undergraduate programs and other college programs, will not be eligible. 
• The government says that graduates of master and other short graduate-level programs" will have the opportunity to apply for a three-year work permit very soon.  
• International master's and doctorate program spouses will also be eligible for open work permits.
   

After these implementations,  the government will welcome the future international students by letting them know that they are getting the resources they need and will return to their homes safely without any disappointment.

Will the new changes affect Pakistani students?

Yes and No. If you are applying for masters or postgrad degrees, then you don't come under the jurisdiction of the law. However, for students pursuing undergraduate degree, there will be stricter visa regulation in place this time becuase of the limit on the number of visas that embassy can issue for study in Canada.