Canada adjusts admission levels for foreign students
IRCC's announcement shows that in 2024, the number of Canadian study permits issued will be 360,000, a 35% decrease compared to 2023, according to CIC News.
In addition, IRCC is introducing provincial and territorial admissions caps based on local population. The new measure will result in significant declines in provinces with the most unsustainable growth in international student numbers.
The new announcement does not affect international students who already have a study permit in Canada, and does not include master's and doctoral programs.
IRCC said that starting January 22, all study permit applications submitted to IRCC will also require a letter of endorsement from a province or territory. For their part, the province or territory is required to establish a process for issuing letters of endorsement by March 31.
IRCC will review the cap in 2025 to reflect current conditions.
Changes to Postgraduate Work Permits
On this occasion, IRCC also announced changes to the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) for international students.
From September 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a teaching permit agreement will no longer be eligible to apply for a PGWP.
IRCC explains that, under a teaching licensing agreement, international students studying at a private school are licensed to teach the Canadian public school curriculum.
Although attracting more international students in recent years, these programs are less monitored than public schools, and thus lead to loopholes in the issuance of PGWPs.
Also according to IRCC, international students who graduate from master's or short-term postgraduate programs will be allowed to apply for a work permit with a term of 3 years.
And work permits will only be available to spouses of international students studying master's and doctoral programs, and will no longer be issued for undergraduate degrees.
The changes are the latest in a series of measures Canada has taken in recent months to maintain the integrity of its international student system. Previously, the financial requirement for a study permit was doubled from CAD 10,000 to CAD 20,635 (VND 376 million). Canada also warned schools to only issue letters of admission if they can arrange accommodation for international students.
According to IRCC's report, by the end of 2022, Canada had more than 807,750 international students studying, a record number in the country's history. IRCC statistics also show that the number of Vietnamese students studying in Canada is on a downward trend, from 21,480 in 2019 to only 16,140 in 2022. However, Vietnam is still one of the top 15 countries in terms of international students in Canada in the 2019-2022 period.
According to the Canadian government, the integrity of the country’s international student system has been threatened in recent years. Some schools are recruiting students en masse to boost revenue, and more international students are coming to Canada without adequate support. In addition, the rapid increase in international students has put pressure on housing, health care and other services, leading to increased fraud and abuse.
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