( Spanish) – Canada announced Monday that it will impose caps on applications for international student visas for two years in an effort to regulate a level of growth that has become “unsustainable,” according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The cap is expected to result in approximately 364,000 study permits in 2024, a 35% drop from 2023.
“Today we are announcing additional measures to protect a system that has become so lucrative that it has paved the way for abuse. Enough is enough. Through the decisive measures announced today, we seek to strike the right balance for Canada and ensure the integrity of our immigration system while preparing students to succeed,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
According to the legal firm CIC News The number of international students in the country has tripled in the past decade, from 275,000 in 2012 to more than 800,000 in 2022, resulting in a worsening of the country’s housing shortage crisis in recent years, according to Reuters.
“The rapid increase in the number of international students arriving in Canada has put pressure on housing, health care and other services. As we work to better protect international students from bad actors and support sustainable population growth in Canada, the Government is moving forward with measures to stabilize the number of international students,” the Government said in a statement. release.
The authorities also clarified that renewals of study permits will not be affected, nor will there be any changes for those pursuing master’s and doctoral studies, or those pursuing their studies in primary and secondary education. Current holders of study permits will also not be affected.
To implement these cuts, beginning January 22, 2024, each study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require a certification letter from a province or territory.
These temporary measures will be in place for two years and the number of new applications for study permits to be accepted in 2025 will be reassessed at the end of this year.
In addition, the Government of Canada also announced changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, aiming to “align” it with the caps imposed on Monday.
Thus, as of September 1, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curricular leave agreement will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit upon graduation. These programs have seen significant growth, although they have less oversight and operate in a legal vacuum regarding eligibility for post-graduation work permits.
Graduates of master’s degrees and other short postgraduate programs, meanwhile, will soon be eligible to apply for a three-year work permit. Under current criteria, the length of a postgraduate work permit is based solely on the length of an individual’s study program, which hinders master’s graduates by limiting the amount of time they have to gain work experience and potentially transition to permanent residency.
Finally, open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs. Spouses of international students at other levels of study, including university and undergraduate programs, will no longer be eligible.
“On the whole, [el] aim [de las medidas anunciadas] “The goal is to ensure that genuine students receive the support and resources they need for a fulfilling study experience in Canada, as well as to stabilize the overall number of students arriving and alleviate pressures on housing, health care and other services in Canada,” the authorities’ statement said.
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