Canada has planned to cut study permits for international students. The Canadian Government will cut international student permits to 437,000 by 2025 which was previously 509,390 in 2023. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tweeted, “We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%. Immigration is an advantage for our economy but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”
On 18th September, Marc Miller, the Canadian Immigration Minister announced multiple measures that can affect the international students of Canada. He stated, “The measures we have taken up until now are working, when you look at the growth, we have seen in people who are temporary residents of Canada, that is something that has grown almost exponentially over the last few years."
He announced, “The 2025–2026 study permit intake cap will include master’s and doctoral students who will now have to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter. We will be reserving approximately 12% of allocation spaces for these students in recognition of the benefits they bring to the Canadian labour market.”
“The reality is that not everyone who wants to come to Canada will be able to—just like not everyone who wants to stay in Canada will be able to. We are taking action to strengthen our temporary residence programs and roll out a more comprehensive immigration plan to meet the demands of today’s changing landscape. Our immigration system must preserve its integrity, and be well-managed and sustainable. And as we look forward, we will do everything it takes to achieve that goal and set newcomers up for success,” Marc Miller further stated in the press release.
These measures taken by the Canadian Government aim to reduce the number of temporary residents in the country. According to the measures, now only spouses of master’s degree students whose program is of at least 16 months long will be eligible for a spousal permit.
As per the reports, Canada’s population has increased by 3.2% in the last year. This population included foreign students and temporary workers. This rapid increase in the population has forced the Canadian Government to take action to cut further Canada's one-third of international student permits and tighten the eligibility criteria for work permits.
How will it impact India?
According to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Indian people represent the largest group among international students, holding 37% of the 579,075 study permits issued as of November 2023. This data represents the huge impact of these measures on Indian Students. Indian students in Canada have become anxious after the announcement of these measures by the Canadian Government.