Canada announces two-year visa limit number of international students

The Canadian government has announced a two-year cap on study permits to limit its number of international students.

Marc Miller, the minister of immigration, on Monday, disclosed what he described as principal measures to improve programme integrity and maintain a sustainable level of presence among international students coming into the North American country.

He said the Canadian government will cap the number of student visas to be granted over the next two years.

Miller said Canada will approve 364,000 undergraduate study permits in 2024, a reduction of 35 percent from 2023.

He said each province and territory will be allotted a portion of this total, with permits to be distributed by population.

“It is the latest in a series of measures to improve programme integrity and set international students up for success to maintain a sustainable level of temporary presence in Canada as well,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with those provinces to put these measures in place as they will be responsible for determining how the cap is distributed between its designated learning institutions that they have jurisdiction over.”

In addition to the cap, Miller said Canada will also now require international students applying for a study permit to provide an attestation letter from a province or territory.

The immigration minister also announced changes to the post-graduation work permit programme.

He said international students who begin a programme that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit starting from September.