“Right now, it’s very hit and miss,” as he highlights that the current approach appears to be somewhat disjointed, with the federal government acting independently, and emphasizes the importance of a more comprehensive consultation process.
“Right now, it’s very hit and miss,” as he highlights that the current approach appears to be somewhat disjointed, with the federal government acting independently, and emphasizes the importance of a more comprehensive consultation process.
Doug Ronson, senior consultant in international education and author of “The World’s Campus: Canada is a Leader in Attracting International Students. That’s Changing the Country—for Better and for Worse,” suggests the need for a larger meeting between federal and provincial governments, as well as colleges and universities, to collaboratively devise a strategy addressing Canada’s needs over the next decade or two.
‘Very hit and miss’
“Right now, it’s very hit and miss,” Ronson said as he highlighted that the current approach appears to be somewhat disjointed – with the federal government acting independently – and emphasized the importance of a more comprehensive consultation process.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a two-year cap on foreign student permit applications on Jan. 22, projecting 360,000 approved study permits for 2024 or a 35 percent reduction compared to the previous year. The cap for 2025 will be determined at the end of this year.
Cap spaces will be distributed to provinces based on population, providing certain provinces with the flexibility to increase their intake, while those most impacted may need to reduce new incoming people by around 50 percent or even more, according to Miller.
IRCC will now mandate an attestation letter from a province or territory for each study permit application, and these jurisdictions have until March 31 to establish a process for issuing the letters.
The cap will not impact master’s, doctoral, elementary, and secondary education, and it will not affect existing study permit holders or permit renewals.
Miller mentioned that the intake limit was implemented to safeguard students from “bad actors” and exploitation, in addition to alleviating pressure on housing, healthcare, and other services.
“Even though we’ve put a lot of thought into this, these are still pretty much blunt measures from the federal government,” said Miller.
Starting from September 1, 2024, students engaged in programs through curriculum licensing arrangements, where private institutions are licensed to deliver public college curricula, will no longer qualify for post-graduation work permits.
The recent measures, revealed last week, build upon changes announced in December, which included a significant increase in the required funds that prospective students must demonstrate they can access.
Significant impact on Ontario
Ronson emphasized that the recent changes would have a significant impact on Ontario and British Columbia.
He pointed out that Ontario, with approximately 38 percent of the country’s population, currently hosts 51 percent of international students.
According to Ronson, this situation is likely to pose challenges in Ontario due to the mismatch between the number of study permits and the high student population. In contrast, other provinces may not experience significant changes due to their population-to-student ratio.
A 2023 report from Higher Education Consulting Associates revealed that foreign student enrollments in Ontario have risen while budgeted transfers from the province have declined by 15 percent over a five-year period.
It reported that around two-thirds of funding for colleges and universities in Ontario comes from non-government sources.
Ronson suggested that the increase in foreign student enrollments in Ontario is partially attributed to the provincial government’s 10 percent reduction in tuition rates and subsequent freeze for domestic students in 2019.
Provincial underfunding
The immigration ministry cited provincial underfunding of postsecondary education as one of the reasons for implementing the caps.
“I’m not the minister of postsecondary education underfunding, I’m the minister of immigration, and clearly, in the last decade or so—or even longer—postsecondary institutions in Canada have been underfunded by the provinces,” Miller said.
A panel appointed by the Ontario government reported on Nov. 2023 that the financial sustainability of the province’s postsecondary sector was “at serious risk.” The panel emphasized that the reliance on international students, particularly in publicly assisted colleges, should be explicitly recognized as a financial risk and considered in assessments of institutions’ sustainability.
In a statement on January 23, Ontario’s College and Universities Minister, Jill Dunlop, expressed concern that “bad actors” were exploiting international students with false promises of guaranteed employment, residency, and Canadian citizenship.
Selina Robinson, British Columbia’s Post-Secondary Education Minister, told CBC News that her government would unveil plans this week to significantly enhance quality standards in international education.
Stress on a stressed system
Concerns have arisen in the postsecondary sector, with a spokesperson from Universities Canada expressing apprehension that the provincial caps would “add stress on an already stressed system.” The spokesperson mentioned the difficulty of providing a precise assessment until more information is available on how each province plans to implement the program.
Universities Canada expressed concerns about potential delays in processing times due to the requirement for letters of attestation, noting that such delays might influence students to opt for post-secondary study in other countries.
Far-reaching consequences
Colleges and Institutes Canada cautioned that the decision could lead to “far-reaching consequences,” including potential layoffs, closures, and higher tuition fees in crucial regions for the sector.
The organization criticized the exclusion of master’s and doctoral degrees from the cap, stressing the essential role played by college and institute programs in addressing labor market needs and fostering economic growth nationwide.
Wasiimah Joomun, the executive director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, expressed in a press release on Jan. 22 that the group recognizes the potential in a system with an increased emphasis on the quality of education for international students and a reduced focus on financial dependence on their revenue.
However, Joomun added that the announcement should have been accompanied by other policies to safeguard the well-being of international students.
Ronson emphasized that persisting issues in the postsecondary sector underscore the need for a comprehensive international education strategy. While a five-year strategy was initiated in 2019, it primarily concentrated on diversifying the countries from which foreign students arrived and enhancing innovation capacity.
