Canada further lowers international student enrollment limit

Canadian universities have warned that further lowering the admissions limit for international students next year would damage the country’s global reputation.

Following the lowering of the 2024 cap, the Canadian government has announced a further reduction in the number of new international study permits, which will now include masters and doctoral students.

This means the total cap will be reduced from 485,000 this year to 437,000 in 2025 and 2026, a 10 per cent drop.

Canada is grappling with housing shortages and health care problems, while some education institutions are accused of significantly increasing their intake of international students to raise revenue.

The move is part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration’s plan to reduce the number of temporary residents in the country from 6.5 per cent to 5 per cent by 2026 and “hold employers accountable for abusing the system.”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the latest restrictions will help the immigration system respond to new challenges, including a weakening labour market.

Marc Miller, Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said: “Our immigration system must maintain its integrity and be well-managed and sustainable. And looking to the future, we will do everything necessary to achieve that and ensure new arrivals are successful.”

About 12 percent of the spots will be allocated to master’s and doctoral students in recognition of the “benefits they bring to the Canadian job market.” They are now capped, and each will be required to provide a letter of acceptance.

The Council of Ontario Universities said the decision to include postgraduate and doctoral students in the cap will further complicate the application process for these students and “may discourage more talented students from applying to Canada.”

Steve Orsini, the council’s president and CEO, said he fears further changes “will continue to undermine Canada’s global brand as a premier destination for top talent.”

“Despite universities behaving responsibly and implementing leading practices to support international students while maintaining moderate levels of growth in international enrolments, these additional restrictions will only deepen existing financial pressures on the sector,” he added.

Canada is expected to miss the limit it has imposed for 2024, prompting warnings in the sector of “far-reaching” consequences.

In a statement posted on X, Universities Canada said: “Cuts to international study permit spending are damaging Canada’s reputation as a premier educational destination, impacting institutions across the country.

“The time has come for this to be the final reduction, allowing Canada and its universities to focus on rebuilding our global brand.”

IRCC also announced it will update its post-graduation work permit program to better align it with immigration purposes and labor market needs, and will also limit work permit eligibility for spouses of graduate students.