A temporary cap on the quantity of study visas granted to foreign students has announced by (IRCC).

An IRCC announcement for 2024 states that the cap is “expected to result in approx. 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023.”

Additionally, the IRCC introducing caps for each province and territory. The agency claims that the caps will be population-weighted. It result in significant reductions in the provinces where the several overseas students are growing at an unsustainable rate.

The caps do not apply to people pursuing master’s & doctorate degrees, nor do they affect individuals who currently hold study permits or those who renew them.

As of today, January 22, 2024, each study permit application filed with the IRCC. It will also need to include an attestation letter from a province or territory (PT), according to the IRCC. By March 31, 2024, PTs must have a procedure in place for sending these letters.

According to the department, the cap will be review in 2025.

Changes in Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) IRCC eligibility criteria:

The PGWP eligibility requirements also undergone modifications, as published by the IRCC.

• As of September 2024, international students engage in study programs covered by licensing agreements will not be eligible for the PGWP.
• Students physically visit a private college that holds a license to instruct the curriculum of a related public college.
• Even though these programs drawn in foreign students recently. They constitute a loophole for PGWP eligibility because they are less closely regulated than public universities.
• Furthermore, international students completed a master’s degree or other short graduate program may now apply for a 3-year work permit.

The duration of a PGWP determined by the duration of the individual’s study program under the current requirements. Because it reduces the period master’s students can work in Canada and subsequently apply for permanent status, this criterion drastically limits their options.

The agency will also provide further information about open work permits for overseas students’ spouses in the coming weeks. According to the IRCC, spouses of overseas students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs will be the only ones eligible for open work visas.

The status of spouses of international students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs at other educational levels will change.

System Integrity Challenges:

Since Immigration Minister Marc Miller first raise the topic in public during the summer of 2023 and in  December publication, the legislation is highly awaited.

“We prepared to take necessary steps, such as restricting visas, in advance of the September 2024 semester to guarantee that designated learning institutions offer appropriate and sufficient student supports as part of the academic experience.”

He even went so far as to say that he would be releasing policies pertaining to temporary residents, especially foreign students, in the first quarter of this year during an interview last week.

The IRCC is under increasing pressure to act with Canada’s large student population of foreign nationals. According to the minister, the sheer number of students puts the system’s integrity at jeopardy.

According to him, there are institutions where international students are “paying a premium dollar to and not necessarily getting the education they were promised.”

“Some universities have significantly increased their intakes in order to generate earnings,” according to the IRCC’s most recent study, “and more students have been coming in Canada without the proper supports they need to succeed.” It also discusses the impact that the dramatic increase in international students enrolling in Canadian universities is placing on housing, healthcare, and other resources.

Students studying in Canada:

The minister predicted that more than 900,000 foreign students would be accepted to Canada by 2023, up from over 800,000 in 2022.

The minister asserted tthat the system was “out of control” and that the IRCC has been working to “get our own house in order federally.”

Additionally, he expressed disapproval of the provinces’ “permissive” designated learning institution (DLI) framework and insisted that “robust” talks between provincial governments and their DLIs were necessary. DLIs are the only post-secondary educational institutions in Canada that allow admission of foreign students. In Canada, there are more than 1,000 DLIs, with 529 of them located in Ontario.

The IRCC announced additional changes to the international student program in December. It raises the $10,000* cost-of-living criterion for international students to $20,635*.

According to the department, this will assist foreign students in better preparing for the expense of living in Canada.

Moreover, a Trusted Framework Agreement between IRCC & DLIs is anticipated to be implemented by the academic year 2024. Study permit applications will be processed more quickly for qualified DLIs.

For more information on recent update about study in Canada, visit DY immigration. Our experts will guide students to the right path.