Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, has announced that the Canadian Government will set an intake cap on international student permit applications to stabilise new growth for a period of two years.

Miller announced this on last Monday while stating that the integrity of the international student system had been threatened.

The Canadian government stated that rapid increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada puts pressure on housing, healthcare and other services. In a bid to stabilise the number of international students in Canada, the government said temporary measures will be in place for two years, and the number of new study permit applications that will be accepted in 2025 will be re-assessed at the end of this year.

“For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023.

“Study permit renewals will not be impacted. Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education are not included in the cap. Current study permit holders will not be affected,” he stated.

From September 1, 2024, “international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a post-graduation work permit upon graduation.

“In the weeks ahead, open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs. The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.”