Canada cuts student intake for current year by 35% to 3.6 lakh

New Delhi, January 22

Canada has decided to reduce the annual student intake for the current year by 35 per cent to about 3.60 lakh approved study permits. It welcomed 5.51 lakh new international students in 2022, of which 2.26 lakh (41 per cent) were from India.

Describing such measures as “temporary”, the Canadian government said these would be in place for two years. The number of new study permit applications it would accept in 2025 would be reassessed at the end of this year.

Striking the right balance

No work visas for curriculum licensing arrangement students from September… We are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for. — Marc Miller, Canadian immigration minister

Current study permit holders and study permit renewals would not be impacted. Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education were also not included in the cap, said an official statement.

Students will also not be able to freely choose colleges. Ottawa has established territorial caps. As of Monday, every study permit application will also require an attestation letter from a province or territory, which are expected to establish a process for the purpose before March 31. So far, Ontario and British Columbia have been the favoured destinations.

“The caps have been weighted by population and will result in much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth,” said the statement.

From September, postgraduation work permits will not be given to international students who begin a study programme that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement. An area that has seen big growth, the Canadian government feels they have less oversight than public colleges and act as a loophole for postgraduation work permit eligibility.

However, three-year work permits will now be allowed for graduates of master’s and other short graduate-level programmes.